The Turtle's Vixen
by Jynxxi13
Summary: What happens when the turtles realize they aren't the only mutants left in New York? Stumbling out of a fire, they come across a strange girl who appears half human and something else. Who is she? One thing is for sure, things will never be the same, not with the way she makes Leo feel. Change isn't always bad, it's a journey. Rated M for LeoxOC smut and violence
1. From the Flames

**A/V: Hello hello my readers! It is time for a new story! Here we have a genetic mutation babe, Shiho. She's a character I created for roleplay a good 7 or 8 years ago, and she's my favorite girl. I was getting back into watching my lovely ninja turtles and thought, 'Hey, Shiho is a genetic experiment and essentially a mutant. Why not write a story!' So, here it is. For a reference of what my girl looks like, take a gander of a photo I photoshopped. . . I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!  
**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

Turtles. Ninja Turtles. Teenage mutant ninja turtles. Well, not so teenage anymore; New York's one and only mutant ninja team of brothers had long since grown up into skilled and deadly warriors. 24 years old, still living in secret with Splinter in the lairhidden away under the city near the Brooklyn bridge. Out of the four of them, the oldest, Leonardo was anxious for change and something new to happen not just to him, but to the entire family. They all seemed to have fallen into a daily routine which repeated itself day in and day out, they'd all become creatures of habit. The katana-wielding brother couldn't take another day of normalcy.

"Dude, what's up with Leo? He's been like…a silent movie zombie for days, bro?" Michelangelo chimed from behind the oldest two, Leonardo and Raphael, to Donatello. They had slipped out for a nightly rooftop run to get some fresh air into their lungs and some exercise in their legs. Donnie slowed a little to let the older two grow ahead in distance and came to a stop on the edge of one of the buildings with Mikey right beside him. He shrugged, unable to really understand whatever thoughts raced through Leo's mind.

"I dunno, he's been that way for a while. One thing's for sure, he better lighten up before Splinter lets him have it with the staff," Chuckling, the young turtles sprinted to catch up with Raph and Leo who came to rest on the ground between two warehouses in the river district.

"Hey, Donnie; think fast!" Mikey yelled and threw an empty soda can at his staffed brother. Faster than anyone could see, Donnie deflected the can with the end of his bow staff and knocked it right back to Mikey. 24 years old and still acting like a teenager. But that was the start of a brotherly brawl between all four of them, dodging kicks and punches, clashing weapons and throwing ninja stars.

"Really Raf, you ever gonna upgrade from those little steak knives to a real weapon?" Leo taunted the hot-head turtle as his katana collided with both of Raphael's twin sai weapons, the steel clinking and scraping together as they strained against each others strength. When he was younger, Raphael would have given in to his rotten temper and gone over the top in fighting with Leonardo, but since growing up he'd learned to harness his anger and turned it into brute strength and speed.

"Ah you're still using that old joke? Leo, time to get some new material, bro," Jumping onto a fire escape and flicking two stars at Leo, Raph leaped with his foot aimed right at Leo's chest. Dodging to the side, the blue wearing turtle grabbed his brother by the ankle and tossed him against the wall. Catching himself and landing without a sound, Raph sheathed his weapons into his belt and held up both hands.

"Alright, alright! No need to throw me, Leo. Come on guys, we need to get back. Casey and April said they were stopping by with grub," At the mention of food, Donnie and Mikey rubbed the shell over their bellies.

"Mmm, I'll bet April is making that lasagna stuff again. Hopefully she remembered to make one just for me," Mikey was such a pig, when he wasn't training or sleeping, he was eating. Leo chuckled and tightened the knot in his bandana after returning his katana to their respective places on the back of his shell.

"Don't be such a hog, Mikey. You can't be a ninja and be fat at the same time," The other two pointed and laughed at the youngest like the obnoxious brothers they really were. Their laughing died down when Leo suddenly jumped onto the fire escape and made his way up to the roof of one of the buildings before they had the chance to stop him. Exchanging glances with each other, the three on the ground shrugged and waited for a response from their leader.

"Guys! You better get up here, look!" Following suit and taking the same path he'd taken, the turtles joined Leo to where he was standing on the edge of the roof overlooking the row of warehouses on the docks.

"Woah! That place is totally like, Dante's Inferno!" Mikey joked; about a quarter mile away, an enormous warehouse was engulfed in flames and people were scrambling and screaming as they escaped. Leo found it odd that there were people in a warehouse this late at night and moved closer to investigate with his brothers close on his six. They all spread out and landed on different rooftops to observe, they all hesitated to jump down and help any of the humans because them being in the building at night was more odd than they were comfortable with.

Instantly, they all wondered if their old foe, The Shredder, was going to make one of his famous reappearances from the flames. No, they sent that guy into non-existence years before when he tried to erase all of the turtles in all of the alternate universes and dimensions. It couldn't be The Shredder. Leo signaled for them all to get low, there was someone coming out.

The building make a strange groaning sound as the flames climbed with the smoke into the sky. Leo had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next. He hated when his gut was right. "Get down!"

Just as he screamed at his brothers, the building burst into an explosion which sent them all onto their shells. Leo grunted and crawled on his knees to look down below. "Leo, look!" Raf shouted, and pointed to the ground to see a single girl stumbling from the flames. He clenched his teeth and gave the signal for them all to jump down as she started to collapse. This wasn't exactly what Leo had in mind when he wanted something exciting to happen.

"Woah…Donnie are you seeing this?" They all reached for their weapons as they gathered around the strange female. She was dressed in what appeared to be a long white nightgown that was stained black and grey in places from the smoke and fire.

"Seeing, yes. Believing? Not so much. How can this be?" All four of them were in absolute awe at the sight before them. Whoever she was, she was just as unusual as they all were with tall burnt orange ears with the tips shrouded in black, a long tail growing from the small of her back. It looked like a fox tail. "What the…" Donnie started when she opened her eyes, bright and luminescent, they glowed a radiating violet.

"T-…turtles?" She squeaked before succumbing to the smoke she had breathed in and slumped over. Before she could hit the ground with her head, Leo was quick to catch her in his arms and lifted her up against his chest. She weighed almost nothing and was absolutely placid in his grip. The other three looked to Leo for an answer, the growing heat from the flames and the stares of his brothers weighed heavily on his decision making.

"Let's go," Before he could say anything else, Leonardo dashed off towards home with his brothers quickly behind him.

"Leo! Are you serious?!"

"What do you want me to do, Raphael? Just leave her there?" Donnie and Mikey knew exactly where this was going and went on ahead. This was going to be another fight between the brothers and they didn't want to be involved.

"Uh, yeah. Look at her! What is she?!" Looking at the girl in his arms, the ninja gulped. She looked human at first, but those ears and tail…hell even those eyes of hers screamed something mutated. He stood in silence to go over this in his head, trying his best to be the leader that Splinter expected him to be. "Leo!"

"I don't know! All I know is, she's probably hurt and we're the only ones who can help her."

"What if she's dangerous? You don't know what she is or what she's capable of. Use your head, Leonardo," A hideous glare pierced Raphael through his shell from Leo's masked eyes. The last thing he needed was his brother telling him he was being reckless, that was rich. Raphael scolding Leonardo after all the danger his temper had gotten the entire family into in the past.

"We're taking her back, Raph. We can only find out what she is if she tells us," Leo never left Raphael the chance to have the last word, he tuned to leave and get back home before anyone came out after hearing them shout at each other. "If we don't help her, no one else will…"

Whoever she was…_whatever _she was, Leo wasn't going to just let her lie in front of a burning and collapsing building and leave her to die. What kind of leader would he be if he didn't extend the hand of help to those who were obviously weak and incapable of getting away? Splinter would be furious, he knew that, but he'd also understand much like he did when they had rescued April for the first time.

* * *

The entire way home, Raphael was riding Leonardo's ass about this mystery girl. Raph hated the way his brother always had to act like he was some knight in shining armor to make up for the fact that he's a 6 foot ninja turtle. Whoever she was, Raph felt a lingering danger that resided somewhere inside her. He couldn't judge on appearances alone, that would be hypocritical, but he just could not put to rest the immense unease he felt.

"Oh Master Splinter! Leo's brought home another pet that he wants to keep!" Mikey shouted once Leo walked in the door, rousing the rat from his meditation with a frustrated sigh. The master never had any peace when one of them did something they weren't supposed to, all of them always tried to get one another in some sense of trouble.

"Shut up, Michelangelo, it's not like that!" Leo snorted. He stopped when he was greeted by his father and mentor with a very displeased expression on his aged face. A pang of instant regret climbed his throat and he gulped it down and shifted the creature in his arms so he wouldn't drop her. Splinter's stare did not falter as he studied his son and his energy for a moment, trying to understand what he was thinking when he brought her home.

"Leonardo, I expect an explanation, my son."

"She crawled out of a burning warehouse and collapsed on the ground. The building was coming down, I couldn't just leave her there to be crushed and burned to death. I will accept whatever punishment you deem necessary, Master," Clasping his paws around the top of his staff, the rat tapped it on the stone ground a few times in thought. His aged, brown eyes studied the strange female in his son's arms as she began to stir and groan.

"Your decision was not thought over, but, she appears to be injured. We will keep her here until she regains her strength, but she cannot stay. I fear great conflict will arise if she makes this her home," Leo's eyes darted to the floor as he shifted his weight uncomfortably. Splinter gave his son a silent nod and went with him to lie the girl down and attend to whatever wounds she might have sustained. The conversation the other three had in front of the tv was a busy one.

"What do you think she is, Don?"

"I'm not sure, Raph. She's not human, that's for sure, even though she looks it. I've never seen a creature like that before; it's safe to say we've seen our fair share of crazy things," Crossing his legs and leaning back against the ouch, he and Raphael kept their eyes glued to the screen, Mikey on the floor in front of them with one of his comic books.

"Maybe Leo thinks she's a babe, because she totally is. OW!" The back of his head was assaulted with the remote and he whipped around to see who threw it. Both Don and Raph looked away innocently, neither of them admitting to the crime. "What?! Have you seen her?"

"Shut up, Mikey. What's a girl like that gonna see in things like us anyway? Hey Donnie, do you think maybe she'd let you study her; figure out what she is I mean," Dark green shoulders shrugged.

"Dunno, guess we'll have to wait until she wakes up. In the mean time, we'll let Leo and Splinter deal with her. April and Casey should be here soon with grub,"

* * *

It hadn't been much longer before their companions from the streets joined the turtles in their humble abode with, just as they promised, food. April was always a girl of her word, especially when she was feeding four turtles who never seemed to get full. They were a bunch of bottomless pits who could eat her out of home if she let them. Casey on the other hand, he was closer with Raphael than the others. Both contained tempers that were forces to be reckoned with and spent a majority of their time sparring with each other.

"Man, April. You sure do know how to feed a turtle," Mikey belched loud enough to make an echo as he settled into the couch with a three fingered hand rubbing his belly. April came through and made a lasagna just for the orange fellow, she'd be spared the whining and complaining from his brothers of him eating off their plates.

"Yeah, you're welcome. Where's Leo? I haven't seen him at all," April was busy, elbow deep in the sink washing all of the dishes. She was joined by her favorite rat in New York who assisted with the drying, he always felt guilty for the laziness of his sons. It was something he just could never break them out of, doing chores. Drying a plate between his paws with a dish towel, the mentor spoke up.

"It seems he is preoccupied tonight. They found a strange woman by the docks and brought her home. He is at her bedside now waiting for her to wake up," Scrubbing one of the glasses, April nodded. Leo always was the guardian type of the four, when any one of his brothers became sick or injured, he was one who never left their side until they recovered. It was probably April's favorite quality about her mutant buddy, though she was now curious as to who this new stranger was.

"Strange woman, huh? You don't think she could be dangerous do you?"

"I cannot say for sure. She has a strange scent about her, one that I cannot quite understand enough to make a decision. Like I told my sons, we will see when she wakes up,"

In the silence of his room, Leo sat at his desk in his old wooden chair with a book in his hand. His eyes busily read the paragraphs, but he wasn't paying enough attention to the words to absorb the story; he was too focused on the sleeping fox woman. Studying the lines of her ears and body to the bushy tail that wrapped around her. Her hair was long and a deep auburn brown but her bangs are what he perceived as the strangest part of her. The strands were violet, like her eyes were, down to the roots like it was the natural shade of her hair. Leo couldn't wrap his mind around her and closed his book to flip over the cold washcloth on her forehead.

"Mmn…" The momentary brush of his fingers against her heated skin roused her from her state of unconsciousness and uneasily opened her eyelids. Leo froze in place, hovering over her with the rag in his hand. Her eyes lost that bright glow from before and were instead a pale shade of violet, a band of silver wrapping itself around her irises. Blurry at first, her vision fought to find focus as the fuzzy image of Leonardo became clear. A turtle, a giant turtle. "HAH! What—Where am I?!"

Jumping from under the blankets, the fox woman jumped to her feet on the mattress and banged against the wall, knocking objects and books all over the place as she scrambled into the corner. Leo panicked and held up both of his hands to get her to calm down, needless to say it made her worse. "AH! You have three fingers! Who are you?! What do you want?! Let me go, let me go!"

"Hey, hey! EASY! Jeez, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm the one who saved you from being crushed and burned to death from that building that you came out of," Her little chest heaved with quick and fevered breaths. The commotion of things falling and crashing around in his room got the attention of Leo's family and brought them all upstairs, Casey and April in tow.

"Oh she's awake, awesome! I'm Mikey,"

"AHH! There's more of you! What ARE you?!" Jumping, she smashed her head against one of Leo's bookshelves and landed on her butt on the bed. The jarring must have knocked the hype out of her and relaxed her at least somewhat, because she was quiet. Finally. Annoyed, Raphael pushed ahead of his brothers to get a good look at her. The turtle being that close to her made those tall ears flatten and press tightly against her head and for her to bare her teeth.

"Woah! She's got like, wolf teeth! OW!"

"Hush, Michelangelo, she is frightened. Raphael, back away," It was true however, her canines were longer than most and appeared to be dangerously sharp. Donnie's interest was even more piqued, growing more as the moments flew by. He just had to study this creature. "Please, forgive my sons and their rudeness. It has been some time since we have come across anyone as unique as you are."

"Unique as me? Have you SEEN yourselves? What is this? Another laboratory? I won't be part of anymore experiments, you hear me!? No more!" Her eyes were wild with fear and panic as she pressed against the wall as much as she could, trying to make herself small. Splinter, the calmest of them all, tapped his staff on the floor for them all to leave and wait outside. He didn't want to frighten this creature any more than she already was. Raphael grunted and left first, Casey right behind him, he couldn't be in a room with someone who almost called him a freak when she looked like one herself. He had to get out.

"Please, let me explain. You are in no danger here, Miss uh…"

"Sh-…Shiho. My name is Shiho," With his eyes, the rat asked to sit on the bed beside the fox-like creature. With a slow nod, Splinter sat and took a heavy breath.

"Shiho. My sons and I are not your enemy, we are a family that dwells in shadow." Like he had to with everyone that came across the turtles, Splinter told the story of their origin and strange appearances. His gentle voice and nature brought down the defenses of the fox creature until she was relaxed and holding onto Leonardo's pillow.

"How do you think it's going in there?"

"Dunno, Leo. You've been listening the entire time, you should know," Donnie said as he passed by. Leo had been still as a statue outside of the room, trying hard to listen to her reaction. "I'll be in my room if you want me," and Donnie disappeared.

"Leonardo, I know you are there, come inside my son, it is alright now," Damn it, he'd been caught. Entering his room, he was pleased to see that the creature was on her feet and actually alright. She wasn't much taller than April, standing at probably 5'4", but she was fragile looking, like she hadn't eaten in days. Her skin was a light shade of tan and she was barefoot. "Meet Miss Shiho. This is my oldest son, Leonardo,"

"Nice to see you awake. I'm sorry if I scared you before, but I couldn't just leave you there," Shiho would have to get used to giant talking turtles, despite how strange it was. Splinter sensed an ease between the fox and the turtle at last, he took this as his cue to retire for the night to his meditation room and patting his son on the arm as he left.

"It's uh…it's okay. I've just never seen anyone quite like you before. I know I don't exactly look normal myself, that's a long story," There was a lick of a Spanish accent in her voice that Leo found most peculiar, it added a spice to her that he hadn't expected out of her. Violet optics flashed under long, butterfly lashes as she looked at Leo from head to toe…toe toes. This was going to take a while.

"Maybe we should get you some clothes from April. Is that all you have to wear?" The turtle pointed to her bedraggled night gown which she took a moment to look down and observe. Wow, the fabric was filthy and torn.

"Yeah. It's all they ever gave me…" They? Who was 'they', Leo pondered. There was so much about this girl that he was desperate to find out about. But, judging by how uneasy she was feeling, he'd take the time to figure her out at another time. Right now, he had to help her as much as he could. What Leo couldn't know was just how much Shiho could change his boring life, but, was he prepared?

Could Leonardo handle what this girl was going to bring to the table? He couldn't say for sure, but the mystery alone of her presence had him absolutely captivated. Leo wanted something exciting, that was exactly what he got, and then some. There was no telling what Shiho could do and what she could change about him, but Leo was determined to find out just what this girl was all about.

* * *

"Hey, Leonardo?" The delicate creature spoke softly as he was showing her around they lair in which he and his family lived. He was busy telling her about The Shredder and the Purple Dragons and how they'd been the biggest pains in the ass the last few years. To his comfort, she could say for certain she had no allegiance with The Shredder or the Dragons.

"Hm?" He'd taken her back to his room so she could rest more.

"You're a good guy, right?" The gorgeous fox was climbing back under the covers and settling in for the night. It'd been a long day, and she hadn't explained quite yet who or what she was to him, but he imagined she would in good time.

"Well yeah. I'm always the good guy. What about you?"

"I don't always know. I don't wanna become friends with you and then mess it up, I always do." Leo wondered what that could have meant, she was such an enormous mystery.

"Just go to sleep will ya? We can figure out friends and foes tomorrow. April will stop by with clothes and we'll sort things out," Against the wall, the fox snuggled under the blanket but started to panic when Leo had made his way towards the door.

"Wait! Don't leave!" The ninja stopped just before leaving, turning and facing her in confusion. Shiho's hand was outstretched and her slender fingers reached out towards him in a way that beckoned for him to come back. "I've slept alone every night of my life, please don't make me go through another by myself,"

Yep. Definitely different she was. Exhaling slowly, Leo removed his belts, pads, and katanas for the night and set them on the desk the way he did every night. Due to his size, his bed was big enough for four people, a king sized Casey called it, but she cowered and barely took up any space. The moment he sat down, the tension in her body released and she scooted closer.

"How old are you, Shiho? Makes me curious as to exactly how many nights you've been alone," Leo settled on his flat shell with a pillow in his arms, looking right at her. The room had grown dark with only one candle lit on his bedside table. In the darkness, her eyes glowed once again.

"I'm 23…" Shiho answered quietly which made Leo almost regret asking. Damn, 23 years alone every night, he couldn't imagine just how painfully lonely that must have been for her. "I know this is stupid, and you probably feel strange. But I can't help it, it's my nature to become attached."

"No it's fine, Shiho. I'm not going to hate you over something like this. Hm, you can stay in here if you'd like. Raph snores, Mikey talks in his sleep, and Donnie well…I don't know if Donnie ever sleeps. He's always up on his computer doing something," If she was that terrified of being alone, Leo wouldn't let it happen. It was his job to protect the weak after all, he could sacrifice the space in his bed if it meant she would have a peace of mind. Yawning wide and curling her long, luscious tail around her hips, the fox shut those luminescent hues and drifted.

"Thanks," Leonardo gulped before blowing out the candle. It was strange having someone who wasn't one of his brothers asleep beside him, someone who was an absolute babe like Shiho made him nervous. The thought of them being of a different species had entered his busy mind, but the comfort he felt silenced that thought. The more pressing matter on his mind, was figuring out everything he could about her and avoid the teasing of his brothers. Oh if Mikey could see him now, he'd never hear the end of it.

* * *

**A/N: So! Enter Shiho! Yes, you guessed it, Leo is my favorite and I've had the weird hots for the damn turtle. I don't understand it, it's weird. So, she's being paired with Leo. I will explain her story in the next chapter, I'm hoping I have as much success with this story as I did with my Four Brothers fic. Here goes nothin'! Read and Review please!**


	2. Storytime and Rooftops

**A/N: Oh yeah, two chapters in one day. I'm on a roll, son! Nah, just have those creative juices a-flowin! I'm having a jolly time with this, I've had the weirdest interspecies crush on Leonardo since like '93 and now I'm living vicariously through Shiho, I don't give a damn! Haha, I'm hoping you're enjoying reading my turtle tale :) Read and Review please!**

******NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

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_"How old are you, Shiho? Makes me curious as to exactly how many nights you've been alone," Leo settled on his flat shell with a pillow in his arms, looking right at her. The room had grown dark with only one candle lit on his bedside table. In the darkness, her eyes glowed once again._

_"I'm 23…" Shiho answered quietly which made Leo almost regret asking. Damn, 23 years alone every night, he couldn't imagine just how painfully lonely that must have been for her. "I know this is stupid, and you probably feel strange. But I can't help it, it's my nature to become attached."_

_"No it's fine, Shiho. I'm not going to hate you over something like this. Hm, you can stay in here if you'd like. Raph snores, Mikey talks in his sleep, and Donnie well…I don't know if Donnie ever sleeps. He's always up on his computer doing something," If she was that terrified of being alone, Leo wouldn't let it happen. It was his job to protect the weak after all, he could sacrifice the space in his bed if it meant she would have a peace of mind. Yawning wide and curling her long, luscious tail around her hips, the fox shut those luminescent hues and drifted._

_"Thanks," Leonardo gulped before blowing out the candle. It was strange having someone who wasn't one of his brothers asleep beside him, someone who was an absolute babe like Shiho made him nervous. The thought of them being of a different species had entered his busy mind, but the comfort he felt silenced that thought. The more pressing matter on his mind, was figuring out everything he could about her and avoid the teasing of his brothers. Oh if Mikey could see him now, he'd never hear the end of it._

* * *

The days came and went faster than anyone had anticipated and Shiho had become a member of the 'gang'. The fox moved back and forth between April's apartment and the lair underground, alternating the weeks so no one would get tired of having her constantly around. Donatello found great joy in spending days with her, asking her questions about her genetic code and what she was capable of. But naturally, she didn't tell him the entire story.

With the assistance of a beanie and strong tail muscles, the fox was able to conceal her strangeness and wander into public with April at her side to search for a wardrobe. Many trips to the mall and department stores revealed to everyone that the fox had insanely rich taste in the clothing she desired. She loved designer clothes and shoes, but had few items of the like to stay reserved. Shiho often went with a pair of torn skinny jeans and a v-neck t-shirt or frayed little shorts and a spaghetti strap shirt. Anything she wore always got Leonardo's blood pumping for reasons he couldn't fathom.

Leonardo's moody attitude seemed to lighten whenever the fox was around, and to his dismay, his brothers noticed. All too often he caught them making kissy faces and pretending to swoon whenever Shiho left the room, the teasing always resulting in a butt kicking. Splinter was surprisingly impressed with Shiho's fighting skills; she wasn't a ninja but she moved swiftly and silently like a fox and packed a punch that could make someone see sound and hear color. No one was more aware of her powerful punches than Raphael when he would constantly try to catch her off guard.

"Hey boys, it's story time tonight. You'll all get to the answers you want about me," Spoke the violet vixen as they all had come in after another long evening of conditioning. All of them, even Splinter, found themselves anxious to finally learn about their mysterious little fox and what she was. The only things Donnie was ever able to get out of her was that her blood was highly acidic, her eyes glowed in the dark and in times of rage, and that her hair was naturally colored the way it was. Leonardo felt a bubbling sense of apprehension in the pit of his stomach. Despite the obvious difference in their species, the ninja was unable to stop himself from developing a bond with the fox that made him weaker than he cared to admit.

"Really? You mean we're finally gonna figure out what makes ya tick?"

"Yes, Mikey. Settle down for a bit and it'll all be explained once you've relaxed," Shiho moved that tail of hers from side to side in a fluid motion that made Leonardo's throat tighten. He'd noticed in the last few weeks that she was quite the creature of seduction and allure without even meaning to do so. Flicking the furry appendage upward, the fox silently disappeared into Leo's room to catch up on her reading.

"How 'bout that, huh?" A nudge to his side from Raphael's elbow shook Leo out of the trance he was in to focus once again. Shaking his head just slightly, the ninja rubbed the back of his neck.

"How about what?"

"Oh please, Leo. You're horrible at hiding the things you do. We _all _saw you staring at her ass," Raphael was purposely poking at that exposed nerve Leo seemed to have for Shiho, he always did. Mortified, a blush that was a shade of dark crimson tinted the green skin on Leo's face as he grunted and pushed away from his pestering brothers to escape into his bedroom with Shiho.

Despite the attempts the others made, none of them had developed a bond closer than Shiho and Leonardo. They meshed and collided in all the right places and preferred each other's company over everyone else's. Leo never felt the necessity to act like the leader when it was just him and her, Shiho broke down that tough exterior so he could let loose and relax.

"What're you reading?" Unsheathing his swords to polish and clean them, Leo sat on his bed while Shiho remained curled up in a beanbag with her nose buried in an old book. Casting a violet glance over the pages, Shiho chuckled.

"Great Gatsby. My favorite book," He made a hum to indicate that he'd heard her, wiping down the length of his blade and examining it for any chips or dents. Back and forth her tall ears twitched and folded as she listened to the sounds around her, focusing on the sound of Leonardo's breathing. He sounded like he'd been training harder than usual tonight; Shiho had to admit that she admired the dedication he had for his conditioning and focus. He always trained the hardest out of the four.

"So, what made you suddenly decide to come out about yourself? No one is making you talk about it," Shiho dog-eared a page and quietly closed her book and set it on the floor beside her. After scratching her cheek absentmindedly, she dragged her delicate hand back through her violet bangs and then her silken auburn locks with a sigh.

"Just figured I owed it to you and your brothers to know. I'm not what you think I am, Leo. The sooner you know the better, I just wasn't able to find a good way to tell you. I'm so comfortable now, maybe it'll spare me the judgment later," Leo gave her a stern look and left his swords on the bed to stand and rest his hands on her shoulders. The vixen froze but arched a brow in confusion.

"You know better than that. We'd never jump to conclusions about you or judge you, especially me," Shiho hated when he was this close, his presence made her weak in the knees because he managed to get under her sarcastic exterior. One of his fingers lifted her chin just a little higher so he could study her pretty face. Her lips were dark, but glossy and curved beautifully when she smiled. On the apple of her right cheek was a small beauty mark. Her eyes are what made his skin tingle, cat like in shape and shrouded in smoky grey eye shadow and lined in darker eye liner; those eye lashes were long and flirtatious and brushed against her cheeks when she blinked. Needless to say, Leo paid attention to every detail about her.

Shiho couldn't handle the intensity of his stare, of his red and brown eyes that bore into her. His large fingers brushed against her neck as he held her jaw aloft to look at him, Leo towered over the short fox. Against the heat of her skin, Leo's flesh was cool. He was cold blooded, what did she expect?

"D-don't," Grasping the hand he'd graced along her jaw, Shiho squeezed it and brought it back down. "Don't do that…" Instantly, her eyes darted away from his and she turned to leave but Leo held her wrist before she had the chance. Dropping her ears down to the sides of her head, Shiho looked back.

"Why?" Was all he asked. Unable to get into it now, Shiho chewed the corner of her plump lip.

"You'll find out," And he let her go.

* * *

"Alright guys, gather round and I'll begin," Like obedient students, the ninja brothers sat cross legged on the floor around the fox woman, Casey, April, and Splinter sitting in between each of them. "Where should I start?" Donnie was the first to raise his hand.

"Your birth, or rather, how you were made," Mikey had to stifle his snicker as his immature mind thought of what humans did, it earned him a smack to the head by Splinter.

"Okay. There's this scientist, Marcus Silver. Or, he calls himself a genetic biologist—whatever. Anyway, my parents were new to the country and my mother discovered she was pregnant with me. Unable to support a child, she saw an ad for a fetus experiment with money in exchange. So, Marcus paid my mother and extracted me as a fetus from her and put me into an artificial womb," Shiho paused to scowl at the gall of her biological parents. They'd given her up for money, like she was nothing. Leo caught the swift expression on her face before it disappeared as she continued.

"Marcus was looking to create a human hybrid with animal DNA. I don't know how he did it, nor do I want to know, but obviously Marcus mixed my DNA with that of a fox. The results are well…you see. But, that wasn't exactly enough for him," Donnie furiously scribbled notes in his journal, writing down as many details as he could. He wasn't sure how it was possible, but clearly it was, Shiho was sitting right there so the technology had to exist. Leonardo noticed how silent she'd become and moved until he was beside her, already he could see the tension in her shoulders let go.

"What next?" He spoke softly so as not to make her feel rushed. Splinter inquisitively stroked his paws through his beard as he listened; he was more interested than he thought he'd be.

"Well, the experiments started after he birthed me by means of machine out of the artificial womb. Injecting me with strange things that made me sick and putting me through vigorous and exhausting tests. The reason I have such acidic blood is from all the things he put into my veins, chemicals and toxins, but that wasn't the only problem his experiments created,"

Violet eyes flashed to Leo, she was about to tell him what made her so bad and dangerous for them all. Dragging in a long, shaky breath, Shiho watched Donatello's pen move in his hand at light speed. He wasn't missing a single thing she said. Placing her small hand against Leo's bicep, she chewed her lip as she often did when she was nervous. "What happened?"

"Well, there was one substance, I can't remember what it was for but it was injected. It's side effects caused the death of his two lab assistants…" She stopped and licked her lips. "He calls it The Madness. When it overcomes me, I change. This hunger-…lust takes over and makes me a monster. When it happens, I'll do anything to snap bones between my teeth, every bone."

The entire group collectively gasped. Even Donatello stared at her wide-eyed and stopped scribbling. Madness? "You mean like a split personality?" He asked, if that was the case, she couldn't help it.

"Kind of. I can't control it. The Madness only makes an appearance when something drastic happens. If I'm attacked or someone I love, I snap and won't return to normal until I've had that satisfying crunch. Even the way I look changes. Marcus recorded my pupils becoming slitted, like a snake and my nails become like claws. My canines get longer and thicker. It's awful." Clearly, the dark part of her was something Shiho was deeply ashamed of. Leo could see it in her posture and the droop of her ears.

"There's no way to fix it…is there?" Leonardo asked, even though he already knew the answer. Shaking her dark head slightly, Shiho pulled her fingers nervously.

"No, there's no cure. But Marcus did come up with a way to rid of it. Shortly after he made realization of the Madness, I was about 5. He made another hybrid from my DNA, like a clone and sort of…programmed her to kill me. That's why the lab was on fire the day you found me. Magdalena," Now things were finally starting to make sense. Why Shiho would remove herself from practice spars when things became too heated, why she never spoke of her origins. She wasn't born, she was made.

"Woah! A clone? So like…she looks just like you? This is just like a sci-fi movie I once watched,"

"Mikey!" Chimed everyone around him, the turtle smiled cheekily and shrugged his shoulders. Shiho was thankful for the distraction he provided.

"Not quite, Magdalena is blonde and blue eyed but shares all the same physical traits I do, she's me. Only meaner, but not half as strong as I am. Marcus sent the thing after me that night and it got out of hand. One thing led to another and the building caught fire. I don't know if she or Marcus made it out, nor do I care," Leo rubbed the back of his neck and swallowed thickly to let all of the information sink in.

"And that's basically it. I'm a freak who destroys everything around me. So uhm, if you don't mind, I'm going," Before anyone had the chance to stand up or stop her, Shiho dashed out of the layer with that freakish speed of hers until she was completely out of the underground and climbing up to a rooftop where she planted herself down on the ledge.

The family sat in confusion and Donnie stared at his notes, Leonardo was on his feet and staring at the door in which she'd disappeared through. He was going to follow her, she knew that, but she didn't want him to. It took a while for Leo to understand that she thought that by removing herself, she was keeping him and the others safe, he saw it in the way she looked at him. There was something else that she wasn't telling him, something that was really getting under her skin.

"You're goin' after her right?" Raphael piped up, unable to ignore the energy that Leo was giving off. The katana wielder fake laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, before she gets herself into trouble, I know where she's at. I'll be back later," The leader took the time to retrieve his weapons, you could never be too safe. Through the tunnels Leo scrambled out and made his way to the surface to the building he and Shiho often escaped to when they wanted to be alone and watch the city. It wasn't a very tall building but it gave a nice view of town when the sun went down, a simple hotel. Shiho was more predictable than she thought, because that's exactly where he found her.

"Where exactly did you think you were going?" The vixen jumped at the sound of Leonardo's voice. She hadn't had her ears focused like they should have been and completely missed the clanking of his weapons against his shell. Joining her on her right on the ledge, Leonardo dangled the left leg and rested his arm on his other which was bent at the knee. A breeze rushed by them, making the strands of her smooth and straight hair dance about for a few moments before settling around her shoulders.

"I can't do it, Leo. I'm terrified that someday, something will happen and I'll snap. The last thing I want to do is hurt anyone, to hurt you," The last bits of the day's sunlight was captured in the violet eyes, bringing out the rings of silver in both. Shiho bashfully folded her ears against her head and leaned against Leo's shoulder. There was something about the way his muscles felt against her skin that made her relax and feel at ease. Her fingers traced the veins and tendons that protruded from his arm, grazing over the lean muscle in the process.

"Oh please, you know we wouldn't let anything like that happen. Besides, you know I can own your butt in any fight," That breeze picked up once again, carrying the summer's heat with it as it buzzed around the odd friends. Leo lifted his left arm and brought it around her small shoulders to make her scoot closer. "Relax, I know it's terrifying. Just trust me when I say we won't lead you into any situation that will bring that side of you out,"

"It's not that, Leo. It's her, Magdalena. Who knows if she made it out or not, but if she did, she'll come after me. And if we clash, bad things will happen. You wanna know how those scientists died?"

"Not really?"

"I tore their skulls to pieces. I couldn't live with myself if I did something similar to you, Leo." The ninja fell silent in her confession. It was a difficult fact to swallow, but it was Shiho. He'd only known her for just about 3 months, but he wasn't able to see her in any evil light. She didn't choose to be the way she was, someone else made that decision for her.

"Shiho listen, I get it. But I'm not going to let you go, understand? You belong with me-us! You belong with us." The little fox chuckled and looked sideways at Leo, taking her eyes off the city for a moment. Feeling her gaze, Leo met it with his own and cracked a smile. "What?"

"Nothing, Just trying to understand," Darting his eyes to the side and back at her, Leo felt confused.

"Understand what?" With a right small hand, Shiho traced the knuckles of her slender digits along the turtle's jawline before wrapping one end of his billowing bandana around her finger. The breeze had picked up and was blowing the fabric and her hair. Leo could feel the blush on his face, he couldn't take her looking at him like that.

"What I'm about to do, of course," That deepened the confusion even more. Her ears opened full bloom in a display of comfort, the soft tufts of white fur whisking about in the wind.

"Do wha-" Shiho cut him off by gripping the back of his neck and yanking his head down to press her dark lips right up against the cool green flesh of his own. Startled at first, Leo didn't know what to do but tighten the grip his arm had around her and bring his right hand to push back the hair in her face as they both gave in and closed their eyes.

Shiho didn't show any signs of pulling away and instead pressed their mouths firmly together, molding their lips until they collided like the pieces of a puzzle. He swore he could feel her tongue slithering along his lip, what a taste she had. Smooth and cool, like mint. Leo had never kissed anyone before, how could he? He was a mutant turtle and had no means of forming a relationship with anyone, he was never interested. That was until this creature walked into his life, well, collapsed. She wasn't human either, which brought with it some justification. Leo just never imagined he'd actually kiss the girl despite the raging crush he's had since the moment he brought her home.

Slowly, but surely, Shiho pulled back but didn't move from his side and re-opened those gorgeous eyes of hers. Leo found it difficult to breathe all of a sudden, like he'd forgotten how; she had caught him completely off guard. He knew this was wrong, he was a turtle for God sakes! But if it was so wrong, why on Earth did it feel so right?

* * *

**A/N: Bow chica wow wowww, gt some Leo BT. Haha, what did I say? Living vicariously through my little fox, haha. Yes, you guessed it again, it's a romantic pairing! I can't help myself! I'm curious as to how I'm going about chapter three. Read and Review please!**


	3. First Glimpse of Madness

**A/N: Hello duckies! I think I got a little messy with the details of this chapter. Like I said before, Shiho was a roleplay character and she's been retired for quite some time. I'm rusty with writing about her and her Madness. D: Don't be mad! Well, I hope this chapter can squeeze by without any bad criticism. We'll see.**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

**Previously: **_"Do wha-" Shiho cut him off by gripping the back of his neck and yanking his head down to press her dark lips right up against the cool green flesh of his own. Startled at first, Leo didn't know what to do but tighten the grip his arm had around her and bring his right hand to push back the hair in her face as they both gave in and closed their eyes._

_Shiho didn't show any signs of pulling away and instead pressed their mouths firmly together, molding their lips until they collided like the pieces of a puzzle. He swore he could feel her tongue slithering along his lip, what a taste she had. Smooth and cool, like mint. Leo had never kissed anyone before, how could he? He was a mutant turtle and had no means of forming a relationship with anyone, he was never interested. That was until this creature walked into his life, well, collapsed. She wasn't human either, which brought with it some justification. Leo just never imagined he'd actually kiss the girl despite the raging crush he's had since the moment he brought her home._

_Slowly, but surely, Shiho pulled back but didn't move from his side and re-opened those gorgeous eyes of hers. Leo found it difficult to breathe all of a sudden, like he'd forgotten how; she had caught him completely off guard. He knew this was wrong, he was a turtle for God sakes! But if it was so wrong, why on Earth did it feel so right?_

* * *

"Wh-…what was that for?" Leo stammered, he'd never experienced anything remotely intimate in his life before. The grip he'd had on Shiho's frame released and she took the cue to stand, helping him to his feet in the process. Violet hues glittered in the rays of the descending sun as they looked away in what seemed like embarrassment or shame, Leo didn't understand. His lips felt strange, they tingled in such a manner he had to bite his lip to make it stop.

"I thought I'd give it a shot," The hem of her black and white baseball tee lifted above her belly in the wind, making her push it down with an aggravated grunt. But she wasn't quick enough in hiding the exposed tanned flesh of her ribs, what Leo saw made him advance and lift the shirt right back up again resulting in a squeal from Shiho. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Is that a tattoo?" Blinking, the fox froze to register what he said. Then suddenly she remembered the swirling stars that decorated her ribcage from one side, across her back, and to the other. She'd gotten it on one her escape attempts a few years before when she was a teenager to rebel against Marcus. "I never noticed this before,"

"Because you've never seen me naked, Leo." That alone made the ninja blush deeper than he ever had. Of course he never saw her naked, he had better manners than that; but that didn't mean he never thought about it from time to time. Leo couldn't stand the expression of absolute rejection on her angelic features, maybe he'd said the wrong thing. Shiho couldn't blame Leo for his inexperience with women. But to he had to rid her face of that look and did so by sliding both of his hands against the curves of her hips until they met at the small of her back.

"Just now, what you did, that wasn't some sort of joke was it?" The turtle had to look down but dip his head to the side to bring her sideways gaze forward so she'd at least look at him when he was talking. Shiho's skin quivered as his arms seemed to tighten around her petite frame.

"Why would I joke about something like that? Come on, Leo. You can't say it wasn't unexpected with the way things are between you and me. Can't like when I admit that I'm more comfortable around you than anyone else," That was rich, can't be unexpected she said. Of course it was, Leo was a mutant turtle, anything that happened to him that was normal for humans was always something new.

"I just figured maybe you saw me the way you do my brothers and nothing more. But…" Damn, there was that word. 'But', when that word came into play it always meant something negative. So, she prepared for some high and mighty speech that he would give his brothers and readied to be shot down. "I wouldn't complain if you tried it again,"

Instantly, those drooping ears sprung up from their base and opened wide as that long tail swayed back and forth. Her fragile, small hands traveled up the front of Leo's shell until her fingers grazed against his cool skin. Shiho couldn't understand this raging attraction, he was a turtle, and she as a hybrid fox; but clearly, the difference didn't matter when he made her feel this good about herself.

"You know it doesn't matter to me, Leo. What you are, I mean, if that's what brought on your hesitation," Why should it? Leo was sweet, powerful, intelligent, and he put his family before himself. There wasn't anything about him that wasn't admirable. Exhaling heavily through his nose, Leo just took a moment of silence and stared at the fox in his arms.

"So you want to give this a try then?" By 'this', he meant a bond more than just friendship but she knew that. A sharp-toothed grin cracked across her glossy lips with a nod before standing up on her toes to give a kiss another go. Leonardo couldn't help but chuckle and give her a squeeze as their different lips met, his right hand traveling up and across her back, the other wrapping firmly around her waist. Shiho gently bit down on Leo's lip and he surprised her by invading her mouth with his chilly tongue before she had the chance to do the same.

Shiho marveled at the flavor Leo had, for a turtle, he tasted delicious. A flavor that she couldn't describe but couldn't get enough of. When his tongue slithered alongside her moist muscle, the fox shuddered in delight and pressed harder against his mouth in a desperate fervor for more. Leo didn't know how or why, but his left hand pulled back and smacked her right on the butt before gripping the toned rear. To his surprise, she didn't punch him or kick him in the shin, but instead sighed and moaned at the same time.

"Leo…mmn Leo wait," The turtle had absentmindedly picked the fox up until her feet dangled above the roof freely, but his hand was starting to head between her flesh and denim shorts. He stopped before he could lose himself any further but didn't put her down just yet.

"Sorry, got carried away," He was absolutely breathless, like he'd taken on an entire fleet of Foot Ninja. Their attention was broken when they heard the clearing of a throat behind them and every muscle in both of their bodies tensed. "Please tell me that's not…"

"Well lookie what we got here, a little fox on turtle action. Donnie, you owe me twenty bucks," It was Mikey, chances are, it was all three of the brothers. Leo let Shiho land lightly on her feet but didn't release his grip just yet while she turned around in his embrace with a groan. Yep, all three of them, they stood just a few yards away on the rooftop with their arms crossed.

"Did you follow us?" Shiho was absolutely mortified. "How long have you been standing there?!"

"Ohh we got here at about when you were talking about being naked," Mikey snorted and giggled, he wasn't able to contain his excitement at catching his brother macking on the hybrid.

"Splinter sent us after you. You know, after you took off running. How long has this been going on? You didn't have to keep it a secret,"

"We weren't keeping it a secret, Raph. I came after her and found her here like I said I would and it just happened," Looking down at Shiho, Leo shrugged. He wasn't exactly expecting her kiss him like that, let alone kiss him twice. The twitched of her ears brushed against his face and tickled his nose, he tried to swat them away but sneezed.

"Sorry…" She apologized bashfully, but suddenly hushed when her ears became stiff and pointed forward. The vixen pulled away from the turtle's tight embrace and dropped to the floor and crawled over to the edge of the roof leaving the brothers to scratch their heads in confusion. Her tail was rigid and her body language read to them that something wasn't quite right.

"What is it?" Donnie asked, right beside her. She signaled for them all to get low and look down below. There was a bank across the street and it looked like it was being robbed, but it wasn't any normal bank robbery. Shiho could tell by the way the people were screaming inside that something more sinister was unfolding. Outside the doors stood two muscular men with guns in their hands, on their arms? Purple dragon tattoos.

"Oh no, I thought we got rid of these guys for good. Now what do we-"

"Shut-up, Raph! Look! They've got a hostage," Shiho hissed, pointing down to show that 3 more gang members were exiting the building with what looked to be a little kid in their grip. The fur on her ears and tail rose as she sprung to the ground despite the brothers calling after her. "Would you get down here?! They're gonna kill that kid once they make a get away,"

With a growl in frustration, Shiho didn't wait and darted after the truck that the dragon members had driven off in and made a leap for the bumper. On the roof tops, the ninja turtles followed the truck as best they could, Leo more desperate than his brothers now that Shiho was clinging to the moving vehicle. His heart settled a bit when she climbed on top of the truck and hunkered down with her claws digging into the steel to hang on tightly. Already, she could feel herself slipping away but did her best to maintain her clear head.

"Guys! We're losing her!" Leo cried as the truck started to speed up and make more turns than what they could keep up with. Running and leaping until the muscles in his legs ached and burned, Leo stumbled and fell on a rooftop with his arm outstretched towards the disappearing truck. "Damn it!" His fist slammed onto the ledge in his outburst as his brothers managed to catch up.

"Hold on, Leo. I've outfitted Shiho with a tracking device under her skin," Using his shell cell as a tracker, Donnie typed in different commands until he was able to get a reading on their fox's location. When did she have this done? "They're going towards the outskirts of Manhattan, if we move now, we can catch them but we have to move fast,"

It didn't take long for Shiho to realize these thugs had quite the payload inside the truck as well as the kid for assurance. Nothing made her more sick than when the absolute innocent were used for leverage in the dealings of the city scum. The beeping of her own shell cell caught her attention when the truck pulled to a stop outside of what looked like an abandoned building, run down and littered with broken windows.

"Donnie, I have to be quiet, where are you guys?" Whispered the fox into the headset she pulled out of the device. Staying low, she watched as two gang members opened the truck and pulled out bags upon bags of money and at last the wriggling kid. He looked no more than 12 maybe. He was grunting and kicking in any attempt to escape but it only earned him a bat to the skull, making her wince.

"We're two blocks away, stay low and don't do anything stupid. We're coming," Silly Donnie, didn't he know that Shiho was a sly little fox?

"You better hurry, they've got the kid," Turning off the call, Shiho jumped down and ducked away into the shadows out of sight before following silently behind the thugs. The poor kid called out for help but there was no one around to hear him yell, Shiho's teeth clenched together as she felt a tingle run down her spine.

"Put him in the chair and tie him up good, the Boss said he wants this kid to stick around for more raids," Spoke a deep voiced hired muscle as he tied a gag around the boy's mouth to silence him. Hiding behind a stack of boxes and crates, Shiho jumped up and up into the rafters where she moved with feline fluidity and stealth. Her ears twitched when she heard the padding of her turtles' feet somewhere in the building, damn they moved fast. Leo spotted her up on a beam and gave her a most menacing glare for taking off, like a flirt, she blew him a kiss and moved on. The guards had left the kid to stand outside the doors, the coast was clear.

"Don't…jump…down. Do you understand me?" Leo spoke into the cell, but Shiho didn't listen and silently leaped from the beam and landed without a sound. "Shiho no!"

"Shh, it's okay kid, I'm gonna get you out of here," The boy at first was terrified when he saw the ears and tail, but eased once the nails on her fingers sliced through the rope like butter. Taking off the gag, she covered his mouth with her hand and knelt down in front of him. "I have some friends of mine who are going to help you escape, but don't scream okay? Go! That way!"

Nodding, the little boy started to run and almost made it to the turtles. Shiho stood her ground to keep an eye on the thugs by the doors. They would have made a clean escape until the boy tripped on a plank of wood and made a tin can go flying and clank across the ground. Damn, almost. Instantly, Shiho was on the defense with her claws out. "Go kid!"

Like clockwork, the gangsters dashed inside but found no kid, it was only Shiho. Growling and cracking the knuckles in her fingers, the fox maintained control over her mind as 5 gang members rushed her at once. Nothing but a smirk played that vixen's lips as she crouched and leapt straight up above their heads and sent them all crashing into each other. Jumping off one's back and landing some feet away, Shiho giggled innocently as he came after her, swinging a baseball bat in the process.

"Really now, a bat? Silly boy," Dodging a swing at her head, Shiho kicked his legs out from under him and launched both feet into his chest and sent him flying into a pile of boxes. "Next?"

The turtles felt a little out of place watching Shiho take care of the Dragons by herself, but that didn't stop Leo from running in and joining her with his katanas ready in his fists. His presence brought a twinkle in her eye as they stood back to back and dealt with the remaining dragons. That tallest and meanest looking thug went straight for her, patting a golf club against his shoulder, his stench alone made her little nose crinkle in disgust. Did any of these creeps bathe?

"Well, well, well; little turtle got himself a girlfriend. Gotta tell ya, she's a freak but she's a babe. C'mere, Sweetheart and we'll show you what a man really is," The threat ignited a burst of jealousy in the pit of Leonardo's stomach as his brothers eventually joined the party to take out the last of the cronies, leaving the large one for last. Like always, Raph finished first and couldn't help but boast about it.

In a pile, the thugs lay with scattered and broken boxes. The largest Dragon approached Shiho with heavy footsteps and swung the club right into her middle when she had her head turned. The weapon collided with her ribs and knocked the wind out of her lungs and knocked her to the ground.

"Shiho!" Cried Leo, making a running leap into the meathead and kicking him square in the face until he tasted the ground with a loud grunt. One of the thugs regained consciousness and snuck past the turtles and started to drag the fox by her hair to the largest and leader. Her nails clawed into the concrete until she scarred the ground and screamed something terrible when the biggest thug picked her up by the neck and held her on display for the brothers.

"Let her go, you purple dragon shithead, or you'll regret it," Leo snarled, surprising all of his brothers. The leader never cursed, they imagined his blood was boiling in his veins watching the fox squirm and kick in her attempts to break free.

"Drop your weapons and the little hottie gets to go free. If not, we'll take her," Grunting and clawing at his meat hooks that tangled in her hair, Shiho thrashed and fought until he slammed her again with his golf club. Both Donatello and Raphael launched themselves onto Leonardo when started to spring up for Shiho as she dangled in the gangster's grip.

"Leo don't! He'll kill her!" Raph tried to reason with the blue ninja but was silenced when the cronies all got up and cut loose hanging boards, bricks, and chunks of metal onto the brothers.

"NO! What have you done?! Leo!" Under the junk, Leo and his brothers laid still but she could still hear them breathing with her sensitive ears. But it wasn't enough, looking around, the fox discovered that the kid had taken off somewhere. At least he was safe. But her attention was drawn back when the Purple Dragons all began kicking and stomping on her turtles resulting in loud grunts and groans from all of them.

"Stop it!"

"Or what? You gonna stop me?" The fox bared her clenched canines and stared with such an intensity that the luminescent glow returned to her violet hues and her growling increased in volume.

And then, she snapped.

All at once, the canines and nails grew in their length and pupils thinned to narrow slits as a wild eyed look crawled over her pretty face. Whipping her legs back and forth, the fox used her weight to throw herself onto the fat thug until his back slammed into the ground with a loud thump. The lower gangsters stopped their assaults when their leader hit the cement, stunning them all and forcing them away from the turtles in fear. Leo was the first one to stand and help his brothers to their feet.

"Shiho?" His voice was answered by the snarl of the hybrid with her canines buried into the Dragon's thick neck, one hand on his head and the other on his shoulder. Through her bite she wore a wicked smile that Leo had never seen before and attempted to approach her.

"Leo don't! Get away from her!" Donnie yelled, his outburst caused her teeth to start to clamp down and bring out a blood-curdling scream from the gangster. Just a few minutes ago he was cackling and threatening a child but now wore a face of absolute terror and agony as she bit down. Leo started to run, he had to stop her before she did something she couldn't reverse and unsheathed his katana, ready to pry her off the neck. But nothing could stop The Madness once it was set in.

"No Shiho! Stop!" Cackling, the fox tightened her grip with her nails and released the neck for a moment before quickly snapping her jaws around the spine until a sickening crunch echoed throughout the empty building, the gangster hadn't even the chance to scream one last time. Leo froze when she started to pull the spine from under the skin, tearing and ripping tendons as she chomped down its length.

The ninja turtles had never seen anything so disturbing and sickening in their lives, watching beautiful Shiho slurp and swallow bone marrow like baby back ribs was enough to make them nauseous. The crazed fox sat on her knees with the spine in her hands until her lust for the snapping of bones began to fade away and the Shiho they knew slowly returned.

"Woah…she just like…dude," Mikey was at a lost for words for once. Her sharp, pointed ears relaxed and opened while she withdrew the bones from between her teeth, at last, she was returning to her sanity. Shiho panicked when she saw Leo staring at her like some wild animal and dropped everything and scooted back until she was as far away from the now dead Purple Dragon as she could get.

"I…M-madness…"

* * *

**A/N: Guh, I fell so unsatisfied with this but I wasn't able to get anything better out of myself. I'm still working on my LeoxShiho pairing and how it will play out. As well as if I'm going to enter her clone :3 YEEE, FOX FIGHT!**


	4. Surprises and Teases

**A/N: Chaptah four! Hurrhurr, I decided to add a little spice to my fox, probably didn't turn out the way I wanted it to but we'll see. I've been watching the 2003 series in marathon chunks for the last 3 days, so. many. turtles. No shame!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

_Previously: "No Shiho! Stop!" Cackling, the fox tightened her grip with her nails and released the neck for a moment before quickly snapping her jaws around the spine until a sickening crunch echoed throughout the empty building, the gangster hadn't even the chance to scream one last time. Leo froze when she started to pull the spine from under the skin, tearing and ripping tendons as she chomped down its length._

_The ninja turtles had never seen anything so disturbing and sickening in their lives, watching beautiful Shiho slurp and swallow bone marrow like baby back ribs was enough to make them nauseous. The crazed fox sat on her knees with the spine in her hands until her lust for the snapping of bones began to fade away and the Shiho they knew slowly returned._

_"Woah…she just like…dude," Mikey was at a lost for words for once. Her sharp, pointed ears relaxed and opened while she withdrew the bones from between her teeth, at last, she was returning to her sanity. Shiho panicked when she saw Leo staring at her like some wild animal and dropped everything and scooted back until she was as far away from the now dead Purple Dragon as she could get._

_"I…M-madness…"_

* * *

Shiho had gone into hiding for days after the Purple Dragon incident, no one was able to track her down but Leo guessed she didn't want to be found or they'd have done it by now. The ninja witnessed first hand the results of her own mutation and what she was truly capable of. When they had informed Splinter, he was more wary than he had been when they brought her home and warned his sons that she needed to be found and retrieved before another accident like that happened to someone else. Wherever Shiho had gone, it was far enough for Donnie's tracker to lose her. He couldn't get a single signal on her location.

For now, Leonardo waited on their rooftop everyday whilst meditating and concentrating. He focused his energy and cleared his mind of all thoughts and complications that were busily occupying the space. None of them understood how he was able to just sit there in broad daylight for hours upon hours, day after day. It pained his brothers and Splinter to watch him wait and hope for the fox to return, none of them were too optimistic that she'd show up but still clung to a little hope that she would in time.

In the mean time, Donnie spent his days going over the information he'd collected from her when she'd told her story. When he really thought about it, some pieces sounded familiar to him especially the cloning of Magdalena. He scoured his brain and memories trying to pry apart any bits of information, why did this feel like he'd seen or heard it before?

"What are you workin' on, Einstein?" Raph approached Donnie in his little workshop area, he noticed his papers and notes scattered all over the place and came to check up on the busy turtle. Pulling up the note he'd taken about the cloning, Don sat back and turned around in his chair to face his older brother.

"Just going over some of the things that Shiho told us. I came across something unusually familiar but I can't place _why_ it's so familiar. See," Pulling up a chair for Raph, he continued after he sat with one foot up on his knee. "Shiho said that her mad scientist friend created her clone using a piece of her DNA and programming her in a way to destroy her,"

"Yeah? The guy is a nutcase, what else is there to figure?" Dropping the paper onto his desk, Donnie ran his hand back over his bald head and sighed.

"That's where I stop. It's on the tip of my tongue," Enter Mikey with a pizza slice in both hands and chowing down on both, both Raph and Donnie exchanged disgusted glances.

"You talking about the Shiho clone? You're thinking of that time when we were at the Foot Headquarters and took on some major Shredder uglies. Remember? Two big ugly Shredders and a little Shredder dude?" The reality that Mikey was the one to hit the head on the nail embarrassed Donatello more than he would ever admit. But he jumped out of his chair nonetheless.

"Exactly! You don't think this scientist guy…uh…Marcus Silver could have been working for the Shredder back then do you? If he mastered that clone of Shiho, who's to say the Shredder wouldn't have paid him off to have her added to his team of super creeps," It was a wild idea, but it made some sense when they really thought about it. With Shiho out of the way, the Shredder could have used that clone to destroy the turtles without the threat of her rebelling on him from The Madness.

"If she ever comes back, we'll have to ask her. In the mean time, have you guys seen Leo? Or is he still up on that roof waiting for her?" Donnie asked as he gathered his papers together and making more notes on a clean sheet. Mikey polished off his pizza and belched intensely and chuckling like an idiot. Raph just sighed, exasperated and started to leave.

"Yeah, it's been like…15 days and she still hasn't come back. Why does he keep waiting up there?" Taking out one of his sai, Raph played with the sharp edge with his finger and waited for one of them to answer even though it was obvious.

"Do you really need to ask, Raph? It's obvious Leo has more than some crush on her,"

"Yeah! Leo loooves Shiho, he wants to marry Shiho.-OW!" A surprise slap on the back of the head shut Mikey up instantly as Leo walked by. He knew he'd stepped over a boundary he probably shouldn't have but he hated when things got way too serious like they were. Leo was quiet as he went up to his room to sit in silence and isolation before going back to the roof once the sun went down. He wasn't giving up just yet, Shiho was coming back and he knew it, he felt it in his gut.

"Nice going, Loudmouth," Raph snorted as he flicked Michelangelo between the eyes. They all hoped that their little fox friend was at least safe, the last thing they needed was Leo in a grieving state.

The turtles had all been taught the same thing when they were growing up; look out for each other. In the few months that the fox had been with them, she became part of their unique family, a real member. She was different, she was talented; the perfect asset and addition to their group. What troubled them the most was just how moody Leonardo had become without her around, as though she were the main influence on his state of mind. He'd always been told to never be swayed by his emotions and feelings, but he just couldn't help it. Leo was a prisoner in shackles when it came to the way he felt about the hybrid.

* * *

Another week of finding nothing passed before a lead finally came. Not by any of the turtles did this clue come from, but from Casey running into the layer yelling and making an obnoxious ruckus. Leo had been ordered by Splinter to stay inside and train with his brothers today despite his begging to go up and wait. But the master had had enough of his absence and was putting an end to it at least for a little while. So today, Casey bust in while they were all practice sparring under the watchful eye of Splinter.

"Guys! GUYS! I know where Shiho is, and trust me, you are _not _gonna like it," Pausing mid-kick, Leo dropped his katanas with a clang and rushed the goon to grip him by the collar of his shirt and shook him.

"Where is she?" His voice carried with it a growl that he'd only heard when Splinter had gone missing. Instantly, Casey held his hands up in defense not wanting to start a fight with the ninja.

"Easy, Leo, I'm gonna tell ya, but let me go, man. You're scarin' me," Drawing in a long breath, the ninja released his friend and apologized. He'd been feeling more violent with each passing day that he didn't know what to do with himself. "A friend of mine, kind of a sleeze, told me he went into one of the new strip clubs downtown,"

"Oh no…" Leo groaned.

"Yeah, he said he saw this hot chick but she had a tail and ears like some cosplayer. I figured, I only know one girl who looks like that. So…we gonna go get her?" Casey had hardly finished talking before Leo was already at the exit with his swords in his hands.

"We're leaving, show me Casey," Exchanging glances with the other turtles, Casey shrugged and followed Leo into the tunnel. Mike, Donnie, and Raph all looked at each other, they wondered if they should tell Leo now or later about their new hypothesis about Shiho's clone.

"Later, Donnie. Right now, let's just get her home. The sooner she's back, the sooner Leo will lighten up," Raph said firmly, his brother nodded and they all followed along behind Casey and Leo into the Battle Shell to find their fox. Casey gave Donnie the address to put into the GPS so they could navigate without any mishaps.

"It's trench coat time, boys!" Mikey shouted and tossed his brothers their trench coat disguises, hats included. Leo hadn't been this agitated in a long time, he almost didn't care if he was seen, he just wanted to get his fox and get out. But for the sake of his family, he donned the disguise and followed Casey inside with his brothers quickly in tow.

Instantly, the turtles choked on the thick air that was polluted to the fullest with cigarette smoke and thick, musky cologne. The place was dim in lighting and was illuminated by stage lights in an array of pinks, purples, reds, and blues. At the center of the dark club there was a circular stage with a pole in the middle, it was connected by a catwalk to a long and wide stage with the club's name in bright pink neon. "Purr". Original. Several other small, circular stages with illuminated colored floors and poles peppered the room with chairs surrounding them. Naturally, nearly all of the seats were occupied so the group hung in the back of the club, unnoticed by the customers and thankfully, the dancers.

"I can't believe she's in a place like this," Leo grumbled as a dancer in clear, plastic heels walked by them to climb onto one of the solo stages and twirl around the pole. Loud, pulsating music thundered in their ears with repetitive beats and whirs in synch with the strobe lights. The atmosphere alone was enough to make Leo angry; he couldn't stand places like this. Raphael gripped his brother by the wrist to keep him from wandering in search of the fox. If he blew their cover, they'd be screwed.

Suddenly, the music started to die down and the other dancers had all disappeared behind a door with "Dancers Only" printed in neon paint across it. Leo didn't like where this was going and he was losing Michelangelo's focus as he gawked at the food passing by him that a waitress was carrying.

"Mikey! Stop it!" Leo scorned, bringing down the brim of his hat to hide his face. Mikey pouted and kept his hands to himself even though his stomach was gurgling and growling for a snack.

"Gentlemen, it's now time for our main display. I know you've all anxiously and patiently waited for our lovely Vixen!" Leo's heart nearly dropped out of his shell when the announcer finished and a spotlight cast a glow on the curtain on the main stage. Through its folds came a scantily dressed Shiho. White thigh high stockings attached to lace garters and panties, the fabric contrasted against her lovely thighs in a manner more arousing than he'd ever admit. Over her shoulders was a sheer cloak, nearly see-through with its hood over her chestnut head and tied together between her breasts. Out in the open, the fox twitched those tall ears and swished her tail in provocative circles.

"Oh…my…God…" Casey went slack-jawed as the fox walked out on the long catwalk with a sway in her hips that tossed her tail side to side. Her slim belly moved with the motion of her hips, her naval alone was hypnotizing. Leo couldn't believe his eyes, there she was, after 3 weeks of not seeing her, he was seeing just about all of her. Including the new tattoos; a black star on the left side of her neck and two more on the insides of her wrists. What was happening to the fox? What was going on inside his head?

Leonardo was supposed to be bringing her back to the layer, but instead found himself gravitating towards the stage the vixen was standing on in tall silver stilettos, her hand wrapping around the pole. His brothers stood stunned both at Shiho and Leo approaching her and sitting down.

"Everyone wants that naughty little thing they see in their dreams, that bad girlfriend to make all of those fantasies come true. Well here she is folks, Vixen, the queen of making fantasy...a reality," The club suddenly became pitch black as the riff of a guitar blared over the systems speakers, accompanied by the pounding of drums. When the main guitar chorus started, the light illuminated on the fox once again to show her long leg wrapped around the pole and herself swiveling around the shining silver.

_My Girlfriend's a dick magnet My Girlfriend's gotta have it  
She's hot, can't stop, up on stage, doing shots, Tip the man he'll  
Ring the bell, get her drunk she'll scream like hell.  
Dirty girl, gettin' down, dance with guys from outta town.  
Grab her ass, actin' tough. Mess with her, she'll fuck you up.  
No one really knows if she's drunk or if she's stoned, but she's  
Comin' back to my place tonight!_

Round and round the fox twirled around the pole, rocking her curvaceous hips against the stiff beam and tossing her hair back in a scandalous flare. Leo's hands gripped the armrests of the chair he'd somehow come to sit in, absolutely mesmerized with the gyrations and swivels of her delicious hips.

_She likes to shake her ass she grinds it to the beat  
She likes to pull my hair when I make her grind her teeth  
I like to strip her down she's naughty to the end  
You know what she is, no doubt about it  
She's a bad, bad girlfriend!_

As the chorus started, off came that transparent shawl from hiding her chest and she wrapped it around her belly before dropping the garment in Leo's lap. He locked eyes with the violet vixen, she knew he was there, he knew when she dropped to all fours and crawled right towards him provocatively and rolling onto her back. The fox rolled her hips into the air with an arch in her spine that made the muscles in his throat tighten.

_Red thong, Party's on, Love this song, sing along.  
Come together, leave alone, see you later back at home  
No one really knows if she's drunk or is she's stoned  
But she's coming back to my place tonight. I say  
No one really knows just how far she's gonna go,  
But I'm gonna find out later tonight_

Dollar bills of all amounts were tossed on stage and greedy men grabbed at her ankles resulting in a foot to the chest and being shoved backwards by the fox. Standing, her thighs pressed together, Shiho trailed her hands from her neck, over her exposed breasts and slowly, down her belly. She could see the torment she was putting Leo through, even he couldn't tell if he was angry anymore, just looking at her. But he knew once this was over, he'd drag her back by the hair if he had to. But suddenly, his fox jumped from the stage and into his lap.

_She likes to shake her ass she grinds it to the beat  
She likes to pull my hair when I make her grind her teeth  
I like to strip her down she's naughty to the end  
You know what she is, no doubt about it  
She's a bad, bad girlfriend!_

"Shiho!" Her finger pressed to his lips to silence him under his hat, she didn't want to expose him or herself. But she didn't stop her routine by rolling and grinding her hips and pelvis roughly against the ninja until a gasp brought through the defense of his teeth. He wanted to touch her so badly, to squeeze her luscious curves between his palms until she squealed. Where was this coming from?

_Doesn't take her long to make things right.  
But does it make her wrong to  
Have the time of her life. the time of her life  
My girlfriend's a dick magnet My girlfriend's gotta have it  
_

As the bridge merged into a guitar solo, Shiho pressed a sloppy kiss to her favorite turtle's lips before jumping back on stage quicker than he could grab her to climb her pole and grind against it. Wrapping her thigh firmly around the support, the fox slapped her palm firmly onto her rear sending her viewers into an uproar. Shiho was, without a doubt, the clubs best dancer and the favorite. Her hips, her long hair, even her thighs had twenties thrown on stage.

_She's a gold digger now you figure out it's over, pull the trigger.  
Futures finished, there it went, savings gone,  
The money spent_

_I look around and all I see is, no good, bad and ugly,  
Man she's hot and fixed to be, the future  
Ex-Miss Connolly!_

Again the music paused and the lights went out. But came back on with her upside down on the top of the pole.

_She likes to shake her ass she grinds it to the beat  
She likes to pull my hair when I make her grind her teeth  
I like to strip her down she's naughty to the end  
You know what she is, no doubt about it  
She's a bad, bad girlfriend!_

Down the pole, she spiraled upside down with her tail and hair whipping around as she descended. The sudden drop made Leo jump out of his seat and almost reach out for her. But, she landed on her feet with her thigh wrapped tightly around the pole as she thrust against it twice with the drumbeat at the end of her song.

_She's a bad, bad girlfriend.  
She's a bad, bad girlfriend. _

Shiho never took a bow for her shows and exited the stage through the same curtain in which she'd entered, her adoring fans making cat calls and hollers. Casey and the other three ninjas stood stiff as boards at the back of the club with their jaws on the floor. Did they really just watch Shiho pole dance and give Leonardo a run for his money with a lapdance? They had to force Leo to his feet to get into the back of the club where the dancers kept going in and out of and hide away behind a rack of costumes. None of them wanted to acknowledge they'd been staring at her breasts and jumping ass, Leo would tear them all apart.

Leo could see Shiho wrapping a silky blue robe around herself as all the dancers left the dressing room to return to their respective stages. She sat in her make-up chair with her legs divinely crossed and running a brush through her hair. They hadn't moved from their hiding spot.

"So, you boys enjoy the show?" They all stumbled from behind the clothing rack but none of them moved after Leo approached her. Firmly, he swiveled her chair around with his hands on the arm rests, staring at her hard. Shiho smirked; he looked absolutely hot and bothered; distracted. She could tell by the beads of sweat forming around his neck and forehead that she'd gotten under his skin. A look that was nothing less than seductive glittered in her violet hues under her long lashes, Leo clenched his jaw to keep himself together.

"What. Are. You. Doing?" He spoke slowly so he wouldn't raise his voice.

"Hmhm, making money of course. It's the only way I can without freaking out the humans. I missed you, Leo," The way her voice carried it sounded like she didn't care that she'd been missing for so long.

"Don't do that, Shiho!" He burst out, slamming his hand on the make-up table and startling her so much that she jumped. They all jumped. Between the brothers and Casey, they all agreed to slip out the backdoor and let Leo handle this alone. This was between the two of them. "Do you even realize what you put me through? I've been worried sick and here you are dancing in a strip club,"

Exasperated, the lingerie vixen slapped her hairbrush onto her vanity and crossed her arms.

"What do you want me to do, Leonardo? I killed that gangster, you all saw it! I couldn't put any of you at risk and stay around. Do you think I like hurting you, Leo? Do you think I wanted to leave? No! I didn't,"

"Then why did you? I don't understand," Shiho turned her face away from him; she couldn't look at him with that expression on his face. Firmly, Leo forced her attention back on him with his fingers capturing her chin. "Tell me,"

"I didn't want to hurt you! I told you that already. Don't you understand? I've got enough blood on my claws and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that blood included yours because I love –"Quickly, the fox snapped her jaw shut before she could finish her sentence.

"Say it…I want to hear why you decided to make me so miserable," Leo's eyes held such an intense weight on her soul that she nearly burst into tears. When she refused to answer, his grip on her chin tightened and she winced. "Answer me,"

"Dammit, Leo!" Yanking his hand away from her face and forcing herself into a stand, the fox wrapped her tail around her leg and crossed her arms once again with her back to him. She took a few slow breaths before recomposing herself. "I love you, okay? That's why I left, because I love you and wanted to keep you safe from a monster like me,"

Hearing her say it was more relieving than Leonardo had anticipated it would be. His hand reached out took hold of her elbow, gently this time, and brought her around to face him. Still, Shiho wouldn't look at him but he made her with the guidance of his fingers and brushing the three digits against her cheek until she leaned into his palm. There she was, that affectionate and loving creature that had him under her thumb. This was the Shiho he cared about and missed.

"You're not a monster, you're beautiful. Please…please come home," Shiho almost said no, but he pleaded with her and triggered her sensitive core more than she wanted. Her chest heaved with a sigh that exhaled through her nose. Leo glanced down at her neck, he wasn't sure why she chose to have the outline of a star tattooed there, but he kind of liked it.

"Alright, alright. Come on then, let's get out of here before they catch you back here," The fox was quick to rid herself of the lace lingerie, exchanging the tease with her normal shorts and v-neck t-shirt and a pair of Converse. Leo couldn't keep his eyes off her as she moved around and gathered her belongings, he was afraid that she'd vanish if he dared to look away. With a black backpack slung over her shoulder, Shiho made her motions to leave before her reached out to stop her.

"What?"

"…Take the lingerie," Naughty turtle.

* * *

**A/N: Am I the only one wondering just what Leonardo thinks of lace and lingerie? He's a guy, surely he must have SOME opinion. My smut is coming, and I'm going to take an anthro approach to his...anatomy ._. Anyway! Song used is 'Bad Girlfriend' by Theory of a Deadman. It's a song about a stripper, so...stripper dance!**


	5. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**A/N: Slight smut alert! Ahaa, okay so, I'm familiar with turtles and how they go about mating. But you know, I figured, they're mutated. Maybe they're anatomy changed also, so I'm going with a slight anthromorphic take on Leonardo's uh...parts. Eheheh...Read and Review!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

"_You're not a monster, you're beautiful. Please…please come home," Shiho almost said no, but he pleaded with her and triggered her sensitive core more than she wanted. Her chest heaved with a sigh that exhaled through her nose. Leo glanced down at her neck, he wasn't sure why she chose to have the outline of a star tattooed there, but he kind of liked it._

_"Alright, alright. Come on then, let's get out of here before they catch you back here," The fox was quick to rid herself of the lace lingerie, exchanging the tease with her normal shorts and v-neck t-shirt and a pair of Converse. Leo couldn't keep his eyes off her as she moved around and gathered her belongings, he was afraid that she'd vanish if he dared to look away. With a black backpack slung over her shoulder, Shiho made her motions to leave before her reached out to stop her._

_"What?"_

_"…Take the lingerie," Naughty turtle._

* * *

Shiho received quite the harsh scolding from Splinter when the turtles had finally brought her back; he wasn't her master or father but she still respected him all the same. The rat told her exactly what she needed to hear before giving her a swift smack on the head with his staff. Shiho took the punishment in stride and held her tail between her legs for the next few days whenever he walked by, but he was still satisfied that she was safe and their home was slowly falling back into its normal atmosphere.

Donnie begged for a day with the fox to scratch his itch for information. Anything new and potentially undiscovered in his mind was enough to have him foaming at the mouth to learn everything he possibly could. His desire to learn so much almost disturbed the hybrid but she couldn't hide from the genius for very long. He knew every nook and cranny of the layer and would always wind up finding her somehow.

Today was no different as the fox curled up with her tail tucked tightly around her body inside one of the ventilation shafts. Through the filter screen, she could see Donnie wandering around the living space and looking high and low, she had him this time. Snickering, a puff of dust blew in her face and made her bust out in a sneeze, blowing her cover.

"Ah-hah! There you are my little minx. Come on! You promised me!" Donnie hunkered up onto a stool and pulled off the grill and laughed. She was covered in cobwebs and dust looking very disgruntled with her tall ears flat out in annoyance. In the dark her eyes glowed, he clearly saw the violet hues roll about in her skull.

"Alright, Donatello, if you promise to leave me alone once you've gotten the answers you're so eager to have," Crawling out of the vent, Shiho sneezed again and shook off like a wet animal to rid herself of the dust and webs.

"Just humor him, Shiho. He goes away eventually,"

"Thanks for the support, Leo. I can feel your love radiating like the sun- Ow! Ow, ow, ow OKAY!" Shiho had latched her fingers onto the top of Donatello's shell and dragged him up the few steps to his desk and plopped onto the wooden surface with her legs crossed. She sure was moody today.

"Alright, what first, Einstein?"

"Okay, for starters, I want to test your bite force. In your fits of madness you can crush bone like twigs between your teeth. The experiment will show me just how hard you can really bite with resistance when the Madness isn't set in," The turtle retrieved a narrow, steel bar with a wire attached from it to one of his many computers. "Here, when I say so, bite down on this as hard as you can. The sensors will register your bite force in the computer,"

"Uhh…you sure? I don't wanna break it, looks expensive," Inquisitively, the fox examined the strange looking tool closely as Donnie waved his has absentmindedly.

"Don't worry about it, I made it. If you break it, awesome. Okay ready?" Shrugging, Shiho placed the steel rod between her jaws and waited. "And…now!"

With all of the strength in her jaws and skull, Shiho chomped down as hard as she could until her thick molars sunk into the metal and her canines crossed together. The steel creaked and whined under the pressure of her strong teeth making Leonardo flinch. Donnie rubbed his hands together vigorously watching the data appear on the screen instantly.

"Amazing! Your bite force almost rivals that of a freshwater crocodile!" Arching one of her brows curiously, she removed the now crumpled steel rod and plucked it from her teeth. "They have the strongest bite force ever measured on the planet, at over 5000 lbs. per square inch,"

"And what's mine?" Clicking his mouse and typing a few keys, Donnie's eyes boggled about in his head.

"4325 lbs!" His outburst caught Leonardo's attention from his state of meditation alongside Splinter. Quietly, he excused himself to join his brother and look at the collected data so far.

"Wow, I can only imagine what was in the stuff that mutated your DNA. Donnie, can you test for that?" Leo asked with his hand leaning on the desk beside Shiho who now dangled her legs and mindlessly kicked them back and forth. They met gazes for a moment, the ninja winked before she had the chance to look away and she winked right back with a click of her tongue.

"I can try, but the acidic levels of her blood could pose a problem," Slightly embarrassed, the fox flattened her ears against her head and turned away with a blush on her face. "Relax, I can give it a try though. That is if you don't mind needles,"

The idea of a needle wasn't the scary part to Shiho; it's what it was injecting. But if he was only drawing blood, then maybe she'd be alright without going through the motions of a panic attack. "Yeah, I don't see why not. I'm a horrible patient though; needles still make me nervous,"

With a nod, Donnie wheeled across his space to a cabinet and opened a drawer with the word "Sterile" printed on a label and withdrew a needle, syringe, and a spare capsule. The sight of the sharp end made the fox wince and latch onto Leonardo's bicep. After years of being the object of experiments, the brothers couldn't blame Shiho for her timid behavior. Though, her sudden trembling did anger Leo in the farthest part of his mind, angered by the acts of cruelty against her.

"It's alright, If you hold onto Leo and look the other way, it'll be over in a second. Trust me, it's not my job to make you uncomfortable, we don't have to take any," Curling her lip and chewing nervously, Shiho bravely clung to Leo's muscled arm and buried her face against it with her right held out.

"No, no. It's alright, just hurry," Leonardo made sure to hold still as his brother cleaned and sanitized the crook of her arm with alcohol and a cotton ball after tying an elastic band around to expose her veins. Giving the taut skin a flick or two, he opened his needle and pressed it to her largest vein.

"Okay, ready…one…two…three," The vixen winced and dug her nails into the firm muscle of Leo's arm as Donnie stuck her arm as quickly as he could and started drawing the blood from her veins. "Alright, almost done. The blood is warmer than the average human, I can feel it through the glass. Okay, finished,"

Looking down, her arm was already being taped up with a piece of small gauze at the injection sight. Donatello moved quickly and put the vials into a chiller to preserve it for later observation. Maybe by keeping it cold, he'd slow down the acid liquid from eating through the vials. Swiftly, Shiho's cheek was pressed against by Leo's lips before Donnie had the chance to turn around. Like he hoped, it made her smile.

"What's next Donnie?" She asked, leaning completely against her favorite ninja.

"Your eyes. I'm curious about the chemical reaction that seems to go on in the dark, like a glow stick. I'm not going to do anything invasive, just take a look with an optic instrument. Shine a light into your irises and record it into the computer,"

"Sounds fine to me,"

The rest of the day was like that. Donnie asking questions and doing all of the experiments he could. He saved the filtering of her blood for last, trying to keep it as cool as possible so he wouldn't burn any of his equipment with it. He tested her hearing, sense of smell, eyesight in the dark, took x-rays of her teeth; everything. By the time he was finished, she was exhausted, but he was more than excited to go over his data and results. While he stayed hidden away behind his computers and notes, Shiho slipped up to Leo's room to crawl under the covers in bed and curled up into a ball, he followed right behind her.

"Hm, tired?" Leo entered and pressed the square button on the wall to close the door behind him. His answer from his vixen was a muffled groan and some words that he couldn't understand. What a baby she was sometimes. "You did great today; Donnie is like a kid in a candy store with all of your data."

"So many questions. I thought I was going to scream," Donnie had a bad habit of becoming overzealous when conducting experiments and playing with his gadgets. He'd even put her on a treadmill to clock how fast she was able to run when given the distance. But, Shiho, like everyone else, adored Donatello to pieces and loved him with all her heart. The ninja didn't have a single rude bone in his body, quite unlike his brother Raphael who perplexed Shiho to no end sometimes.

"So I take it you're not up for a run to the rooftop then huh?" Lazily, her tail drooped over the bed and didn't even have the energy to sway. The mutant crossed his arms and chuckled to himself, Shiho was hysterical when she was this tired and he just had to play with her.

"Maybe if you carry me," She mumbled. Reaching down silently, the ninja grasped her tail between his fingers and gave the appendage a rough tug that scooted her almost out of bed. "LEO! That's attached you know!?"

"Come oooon! One run isn't gonna kill you, Shiho. Pretty please?" His answer was a dirty glare as she swiped her tail out of his grip and cuddled it like a doll. The fur was silky and smooth between his fingers, he couldn't get enough of petting it like some child.

"Don't give me that, Leonardo. Don't think because you have those amazing muscled arms and intoxicating allure that you can get me to go outside when your brother has worked me like a lab rat,"

"Amazing muscles, huh?" Ducking her head under a pillow, Shiho snorted.

"Shut-up. Hey!" Leo pulled the feathered pillow off her head and out of her grip and grinned. She's seen that smug look before; she'd fed his ego enough times to know when he wanted to hear more.

"I knew you were checking me out. You wanna feel my muscles don't ya?" Teasingly, Leo jumped on the bed between her legs and made her squeal in surprise.

"Quit it, Leo, or I'll smack that pretty face of yours," Just what exactly did he think he was doing? Crawling on her like that and teasing her like some high school jock. Yanking her by the thighs downward, Shiho slammed against his shell with a yelp. "Dammit, Leonardo!"

"I'm not gonna leave you alone until you say you like my muscles and you want to touch them. Now that I think about it, I'm curious as to what other parts of me you want to look at and touch," Now he was being mean, he could tell he was getting deep under her skin by the rise of fur on her pert ears and the crimson stain on her cheeks. Gliding his hands up the backs of her bare thighs, the turtle didn't let up with taunting her. "Come on, say it,"

"Butthead, get off," With her palms, she pushed on the shell of his chest but didn't do much damage. The ninja was too swift and pinned her hands above her head by the wrists. The outer rim of his top shell rubbed grooves into her thighs as his little game escalated.

"I wanna hear it. Or I'll just keep going until you cave, but judging by your stubborn silence, you _want_ me to keep going,"

"What?! Leo!" Shiho grunted and gasped trying to break free, but she knew he wasn't about to let her go. Those muscles in his gorgeous arms had her stuck. "What kinda boyfriend are you, dammit you're so mean! Rotten turtle!"

"Ohh I'm you're boyfriend now?" With a loud growl, Shiho tossed her head back against the mattress and counted to ten in her head before she lost control and smacked him right in the kisser. He was teasing her like a teenager and she didn't like it. She didn't hate it, but she didn't like it. Leo knew just how to ruffle her feathers, well…fur. But this was a whole new approach that he'd never ventured before.

"Well, I think we've distinguished the line between best friends and fuck buddies. Granted, we've never fucked." Red-brown eyes widened at her foul language, surprised when he found himself turned on by it. With a chuckle, he leaned down to bring his cool lips just centimeters apart from those glossy buds that made him quiver in the shell. The sudden invasion of space brought a hitch and tremble to her breathing, making it unsteady.

"You know, that ooze didn't just mutate me into a walking and talking turtle. Not everything about me is 100% turtle, in fact," Not entirely sure what that could mean, Shiho's rigid muscles relaxed and her balled up fists opened under his tight grasp. She had a pretty good idea what he was hinting at but was too embarrassed to ask. Now, Shiho was very aware of the position she was in; vulnerable and pinned against the bed with a very powerful ninja between her thighs. It almost didn't feel real.

"R-..really now?" She coughed nervously. "What exactly do you mean about that?"

"Want me to show you?" Leo was teasing her in a brand new way, talking in a low and steady voice that had the fur on her ears standing on end and every inch of her skin tingling with goose bumps. He had the reigns on this ride and was going to make damn sure he was controlling everything and he started by licking her bottom lip slowly. "I know you want me to,"

This Leonardo was thousands of times different than the leader of the ninja turtles she'd become so familiar with. He took her game of seduction and turned it around and made her the victim, weak and needy. Leo had to admit he was digging the fact that she didn't give a single damn about the difference in their species, she was able to see him way beyond something so superficial. Releasing her hands and grabbing her hips in a swift motion, the turtle executed his ninja fluidity and switched up the position until she was placed firmly in his lap.

"What are you saying?" She wasn't able to bring her voice higher than a whisper as her fingers twirled in the fabric of his headband and loosening the knot. Dragging both of his large, three-fingered hands through the smooth tresses of her auburn mane Leo brought her face closer to his. So close in fact they could taste each other's breath.

"You know exactly what I'm saying. You want me," Leo was so smug when he knew he was right. A beast like Shiho was putty in his hands. "And I want you. I think it's time,"

"I've never-"

"I know, neither have I. But Shiho," Her gaze had dropped and he had to bring it back up. In her eyes he could see the acceptance and submission, that she was willing to try."I'm not going to lie, this is going to hurt but not for long. Turtles are uh…" The seducing ninja was at a loss for words in describing his anatomy. He was mutated, everything about him wasn't like an ordinary turtle.

"Endowed?" She giggled to ease her nerves, Leo loved her humor and nodded.

"Yeah, _very…_endowed," Shiho had to admit, losing her virginity to a mutant ninja turtle was outlandish and crazy to just about all people. But she was obviously not a normal girl herself, and knowing that it was Leo made her feel safe. Still, she was terrified. Hesitantly, the smitten vixen leaned her head down with her ears folded flat to kiss that handsome ninja. She hoped he couldn't hear the pounding of her heart against her chest, because it thundered in her ears.

Heavy, wet kissing led to petting and ragged, gasping breaths between the two of them. Leo worked her onto her back once again and settled between her legs while she started to untie the headband. Both were completely new to this game and their inexperience showed as they fumbled about with his belts and her clothes. But they managed until he had her completely stripped down. Leo groaned against her neck from the surging pain of his growing arousal, making her jump and force him back a ways to look at his face.

"Leo?"

"I'm alright, just ah…struggling," Confused, Shiho stared blankly at him for a few moments before he indicated downward with his eyes. Following his gaze, the fox quickly grew red in the cheeks with eyes wide with fear. Despite being a turtle, Leo's painful arousal looked remarkably human…only…green. That wasn't the scary part, Shiho's eyes nearly crossed when she understood now just how 'gifted' he really was. At full length, the ninja's sex looked almost 11 inches long coming through a slit in the soft part of his lower shell.

"Oh my God, Leo I don't think-"

"Slowly, Shiho, not going to force it into you and hope for the best," All of the teasing and torment he'd put her through earlier had the fox moist and aroused herself, she hoped it was enough to let him pass without too much pain. Instantly, Leo began to shake as he hovered above his lovely minx; she looked absolutely terrified. "Wait, I can't when you look at me like that, let's hold off on this,"

"Leo no! I'm okay, I promise," He wasn't buying it and his expression told her so. Rocking her hips upward in a grind, the ninja let out an abysmal groan from the pit of his chest. "I want it, Leo"

Sighing through his nose, the turtle came back down and planted a heavy, desperate kiss that was laced with want. Reaching down between her legs, Leo started to press into her core which made her grip sharply into his biceps and squeeze her eyes shut. She'd never been intimate with anyone before, despite the few weeks she spent dancing, the new experience was terrifying but at the same time she never felt more ready. Slowly, very slowly he shifted into Shiho's trembling body, filling her entirely and attempted to kiss away the pain while trying to hold his own. True to virgin nature, Shiho was tighter than a snare and hugged his length with her heat and smoothness. He prodded at her unbroken membrane and gave her a moment to gather herself.

"Ready?" When she nodded, Leo forced himself through the fox's hymen with a grunt and thrust of his hips and muffled her scream with a kiss. Shiho squirmed from the burning and stinging pain of being broken, even drops of moisture formed in the corners of her eyes. Something Leo did not want to happen. "Oh Shiho…mm I'm sorry,"

Coming to grips with the pain and the change, Shiho put control into her mind and breathing to release Leo's arms and embrace him around the neck. For as long as he could remember, Leo had always remained in the shadows and called a freak or a monster when he dared to step out. April and Casey aside, Shiho was really the only girl to see beyond the shell and love him like a man. Now, here they were, turtle and fox doing something very human but doing it together. Leo couldn't put a lid on his overwhelming happiness even though he could see the look of pain and discomfort on her face; he knew it would fade. "You alright, Leo?"

His attention was pulled out of his thoughts by the fluttering voice of his vixen, hushed and oddly erotic. The pain was pulling back, Shiho was loosening up enough for him to draw back and push back in with slow, steady thrusts. Gradually, her beautiful face relaxed and the tension all but disappeared. In response, his parted lips pushed roughly into hers for a deep, satisfying kissed that lured out a moan from her throat into his mouth. It was starting to feel good...real good. Neither of them had ever felt something so raw and amazing. Grunting softly with each of his thrusts, Leo captured one of her small hands and grasped it tightly and held it on the pillow above her head. His heart fluttered wildly in his chest at the sight of her face, flushed with wide open violet eyes that looked nowhere else but right back into his.

"Leo!" Shiho gasped when he suddenly picked up his pace and rocked her hips wildly.

"Shh, everyone is downstairs..." Over and over...again and again, Leo managed to slide with ease into his fox. The fresh, warm walls of her moist core stroked his rigid arousal until it twitched, he'd never felt anything so soft and wet...so hot. By the rocking of her hips and the way her teeth tore into her lip, the ninja guessed she was enjoying herself, his speculation was put to rest when her eyes rolled shut and her lips fell agape in a wide smile. He hadn't noticed how heavy or loud his breathing had become, like he'd been sprinting, Shiho riled him up more than he'd ever imagined she would. "You like it...mm..like that?"

"Leo yes...I l-..ahh like it...D-don't stop," Like he would do something so cruel. Rougher than he ever had, Leo crushed his lips together with the fox and invaded her delicious mouth with his cold, slithering tongue. Shiho's ears started to buzz from the intense heat building up in her body, she was close to her first climax and teemed with excitement that Leo was the one who would bring her to it. Leo couldn't stop;l her body was too inviting, her voice too intoxicating...Leo really felt himself falling more in love.

The next thing to happen nearly scared the pair out of their skin and shell. A pounding on his bedroom door and obnoxious yelling. "Hey Leo! Shiho! Get your butts out here, it's movie night!" Shiho was going to yank that Michelangelo out of his shell when she got her hands on him. A long, heavy sigh of disappointed breathed out of Leo's lungs as their moment had been absolutely ruined. At least the hard part was out of the way.

"Dammit…you know if we don't get down there, he's going to come back," New tears replaced the ones of pain as they slid down the sides of her face, not out of disappointment, but anger. She'd gotten so close, they both had. "Hey, don't do that. We'll try again, I promise…"

"I know, I just feel like such a damn child getting her favorite toy taken away- AH!" Not even thinking, Leo quickly withdrew himself from her core and resulted in a shrill scream. Quickly, he covered her mouth with his hand before she went on anymore. He felt like an asshole.

"Shiho, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Oh jeez…" Taking his hand from her mouth, he reached over to his nightstand and pulled out one of many clean washcloths and handed it to her. "You're bleeding,"

Finally after 20 minutes of awkward re-dressing, Shiho and Leo joined the family in the hopes that they hadn't heard her scream or caught on to what they were doing. They were all gathered around the multiple TV screens either sitting on the couch or on the floor. Leo took his place in one of the recliners and pulled her into his lap, she'd be too sore to sit anywhere else.

"Leo, it was your turn to choose the movie. But since you were up there bumpin' uglies with Miss Hottie there, Mikey got to choose," Raph snorted as Mikey eagerly popped in his DVD. Both knew that he was kidding, Raphael had no idea what they were doing, but that didn't stop them from blushing. "Now, we gotta watch Godzilla for the millionth time,"

The family watched the movie all the while suffering through Michelangelo reciting every single line. Shiho would rather lose her virginity again than listen to him giggle nonstop.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, that was interesting for me to come up with. I've never done turtle smut before e-e. I hope it wasn't too...stupid I guess. I dunno. Anyway, read on!**


	6. Deceit Goes Down Rough

**A/N: Alright! So, slight smut out of the way, time for a little angst :3 I'm eventually going to have some harder smut in here soon, just working out how I'm going to do it. Anyway, Read and review!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

_Previously: "Leo, it was your turn to choose the movie. But since you were up there bumpin' uglies with Miss Hottie there, Mikey got to choose," Raph snorted as Mikey eagerly popped in his DVD. Both knew that he was kidding, Raphael had no idea what they were doing, but that didn't stop them from blushing. "Now, we gotta watch Godzilla for the millionth time,"_

_The family watched the movie all the while suffering through Michelangelo reciting every single line. Shiho would rather lose her virginity again than listen to him giggle nonstop._

* * *

In the darkness of his new office, he stared out the window with his finger holding down a few blinds. His thick brows knit together in frustration that he had yet to receive and answers or leads to the subject's whereabouts. She was a fox hybrid, how could she just vanish without the public noticing her? With a wild growl, he slammed his fist against the wood of his desk.

"Maggie! In here!" He barked, his door cracking open slightly as his daughter entered silently. "Where is she?"

"Hehe, I found her Daddy. She's been living in the stinky sewer for the last 8 months. Can you believe that?!" Giggling, the sly girl wiggled where she stood in her excitement. "Oh, and Daddy that isn't the best part,"

"What is it then?" Turning towards the bubbly girl, his brow arched as his fingers drummed on his desk impatiently.

"She's dating one of those turtles, she lives with them all! Isn't that great? You get to destroy Shiho _and _those freaks that ruined you," Blue eyes glittered and glowed in the darkness of the office, she was able to clearly see the grin that came across his sharp features.

"That is great news. Excellent work, Magdalena. I want you to bring her to me; we'll use her as bait to get those insufferable creatures in our sights,"

"Ohhh Daddy, maybe we should let Shiho kill the turtles. Bring out the Madness and watch her slaughter them all, including her precious boyfriend. She'll suffer so much for what she did, Daddy," Marcus chuckled darkly as the idea sounded appetizing to his interest.

"Go, Magdalena. Bring your sister to me and be rewarded upon your return," The blonde fox giggled in delight and scrambled out of the office to make preparations for bringing the oldest fox to Marcus. Once the door was shut, he laughed once again and returned to cast his gaze out his window. "What will you do, Shiho? When the Madness is overpowering you and destroying your precious turtle…you will be mine again,"

* * *

"So uh…where are we going again?" The turtles all piled into April's van while Casey sat behind the wheel. Shiho had to lay down with her head on Leo's thigh, overcome with motion sickness. They had left early this morning before the sun had even peaked over the horizon of Manhattan. The drive was long and mind-numbingly boring for most of them, Mikey in particular who spent a majority of the drive flicking Raphael in the arm.

"To Casey's cabin in the mountains for some down time away from the city. How you holding up?" Sliding his fingers through her long hair, the fox groaned and kept her eyes shut and gripped Leo's leg as yet another wave of nausea overcame her. She was both sick and exhausted. She'd been up with Leo late last night after the others had all gone to April's to help set up her new TV and entertainment center. Since their first attempt at intimacy had miserably failed, they made many more unsuccessful tries to finish after that first night. Last night, however, was the first time they both climaxed and nearly hit the roof. Leo had never even masturbated to know what release felt like, so when it happened, he saw stars.

"Lousy. Are we there yet?"

"Hey! That's my line!" Mikey giggled and slapped her thigh. Angry, the fox whipped her arm out and clawed at the air across from her to hit Mikey but missed. Leonardo looked less than pleased with his baby brother for pestering his vixen when she had the potential to blow chunks everywhere.

"Knock it off, Michelangelo. She's sick, give her a break,"

"Interesting that your equilibrium is so unstable in the motion of a vehicle. Yet, your balance on wires and high rises is outstanding. Still so much about you that I have to learn, Shiho," The fox sighed heavily, trying to relieve the pressure on her stomach and crawled further into Leo's lap. Thinking about more of Donnie's experiments made her head swim. Her turtle traveled his hand up and down the side of her body to soothe and relax her, his tenderness was enough to make her swoon.

Around Shiho's neck glinted a shard of metal. During one of their spars a few days ago, Raph and Leo clashed weapons harder than they had before and one of his katana shattered into tiny pieces. Leo took it upon himself to fix a delicate chain through a shard and gave it to her to keep after obtaining a new sword. To his amazement, she'd been overjoyed and hasn't taken it off since. Anything Leo gave her she deemed precious.

The first thing Shiho did when they finally arrived was sprint out of the van and into the woods to empty the contents of her uneasy stomach. Leo helped unpack a few things and strapped his two katanas onto his back before looking for the sick fox. Raphael stormed away into the house with his duffel back thrown over his shoulder. He'd been in a bad mood since the drive up here started and it was getting worse.

"You alright, Shiho?" He found her lazily sprawled over a large, round boulder. Leo knelt down beside his vixen and brushed the hair out of her face. He was satisfied when he noticed a small smile on her dark lips.

"I'm fine, Babe…car rides just aren't my thing,"

"I'll say, come on Pukey," The nickname was something he'd regret saying later, but for now, he was being chivalrous and carrying her back to the house where she crawled away to the darkest room she could find for a nap. The sun was still a little low in the sky as the morning pressed on, the brothers all went off to do their own things. Raphael went into the barn to take a few shots at the punching bag, Donnie stayed on the porch with his notes and some books, and Mikey took off exploring in the woods again. It seems he hadn't learned his lesson from their first visit when that monster hunter tried to catch him.

* * *

"Leo, you haven't left her all day. She'll be okay, she'd just a little sick. Come on, go eat something," April urged as she poked her head in through a crack in the bedroom door. Shiho was dead asleep from the stroking of Leo's fingers on her temples and cheeks. "Leo, I'm sure she doesn't want you sitting up here without eating anything,"

"I know, I just feel bad," With tenderness, the turtle kissed the slumbering hybrid on the forehead before making an exit and leaving the door open a crack in case she called. April had to admit, Leo's never-ending dedication made her jealous; Casey had his moments but was never half as attentive as Leo was with Shiho.

"Ah, come eat, my son. I have prepared some sushi for lunch," Sitting on his knees beside his father, Leo bowed his head in gratitude before reaching forward and picking up a roll between some chopsticks and popping it in his mouth. "How is Shiho?"

"Sleeping. She'll be fine when she wakes up, just miserable for the time being," Splinter poured two cups of tea and sat back onto his haunches. Leo continued to eat, he'd actually been hungry since last night but just had forgotten to eat. Being preoccupied with the fox had him distracted. "The sushi tastes great, Father,"

"Thank you, Leonardo. I have to say, I am most proud of you in the care you take for your ailing beloved. She has become quite the important figure to you over the last few weeks,"

"Yes. She really has," The front door opened as Raphael stomped inside and dropped down across from Splinter and Leonardo to help himself to some lunch. He'd been working out in the barn since they arrived that morning and was starving.

"What's everyone talking about?"

"Good to see you, Raphael. I was just discussing with Leonardo about the care he has taken in Shiho's motion sickness spell," Raph's features were crossed with agitation when he heard it. Leo had been spending more time with the fox lately than him or his brothers. Raph didn't want to admit it, but he was jealous of Shiho's sudden influence on their leader.

"Been hanging out with her a lot lately, haven't ya Leo?"

"Let it go, Raph. I'm not getting into this again with you. Thanks for the lunch, Master Splinter. I'm full now," Leo rose to his feet and left out the front door and disappeared out of sight. The sai wielding ninja heard Casey sigh from across the room and stand.

"Raph, what's the matter with you? You've been climbin' all over Leo the last few days,"

"Nothing, Casey. I just think he's got his head in the clouds with that girl and he's losing focus on being a leader. If you ask me, dames only give you trouble," He flinched the moment the words left his mouth, already he could feel the nasty glare coming from April. Upstairs, they heard Shiho stumbling around and slam the bathroom door to hurl her guts up once again. April clutched her throat in sympathy for the poor thing, she had to be sick of this nausea by now. They all probably should have listened to her when she said she could go on foot.

"I'm gonna go hold her hair back. You need to lighten up, Raphael. That 'dame', as you so eloquently put it, has been nothing but nice to all of us including you when you're rude to her day in and day out. If you haven't noticed, Leo has been more relaxed and less uptight since they got together. Either you need to sort out whatever problem you have with her or keep your mouth shut," Casey whistled as April marched up the stairs. He went into the kitchen for a moment and returned with a bag of ice.

"Here's some ice for that major burn you just received,"

"...Shut up, Jones,"

* * *

"Hey Leo? Come over here, I need to talk to you if you've got a minute," Leo had been on the porch swing, rocking back and forth with his foot to clear his head. Raphael was getting to him again. He instead tried to think about Shiho and last night, damn she looked so hot when she came. Watching her gasp and writhe under his shell really made all the other tries worth that moment. But his focus was broken by Donatello with a notebook in his hand.

"What is it, Don? I've got a lot on my mind right now," Nervously, the ninja fiddled with his journal full of notes and eased down next to Leo. He opened the book and flipped through a few pages until he landed on a print out of some data.

"This is kinda important. You remember when I took a blood sample from Shiho?"

"Yeah, we wanted to find out what was used to mutate her. Did you find anything?" Gulping, Donnie nodded.

"Unfortunately, I did. In her blood cells, I found traces of some strange mutagen, but I thought I had seen it before. So, I took some of mine and compared the slides and well…look," On the page there were two pictures of mutated blood cells one labeled "Donnie" and the other "Shiho".

"They…they look the same, what does that mean?"

"It means that whatever that wacko used to mutate Shiho, it came from the TCRI location that our ooze came from. This Madness that she falls into? It wasn't something that just developed, he made her that way by fusing her DNA with a chemical that is either very similar to the ooze or it's the same thing," Leo was at a loss for words. He couldn't imagine why Shiho wouldn't mention something like that.

"So, she lied? About the Madness?"

"More or less. Because this mutation isn't very old. She's only had it for a few years, the Madness didn't start when she was 5 like she said it did, it started much later," The ninja had to stand and lean against the wall of the house as he let this information sink in. He couldn't make heads or tails of what it meant just yet, but he'd find out soon. He refused to accept that Shiho would lie about something as important as being purposely mutated by that TCRI ooze.

"I gotta take a walk.." He mumbled before leaping off the porch and vanishing into the woods without a sound. The idea of Shiho lying to him about anything made his stomach churn and his heart twist into knots. For now, he'd wait and see if she would come to him, he wasn't going to make a mess of a situation that he didn't have all the information for. Or at least, he'd try to.

* * *

"Where's Leo?" Shiho thumped down the stairs with significantly less grace than usual, she really was feeling like crap. She certainly looked it. The sun had long since set and it was dark outside, the moonlight illuminating the tops of the trees and casting a pale glow through the windows. The vixen froze when she caught a glare from Raphael. "What?"

"Forget it…You wouldn't understand," The hell was his problem? Raphael left in the same manner his brother had and went straight into the shadow of the woods. Shiho had had enough of him acting like an asshole when she'd done nothing wrong. She was leaving just as Donnie was coming in. He attempted to stop her but she was hot on Raph's tail and chasing after him. He'd tell her later then.

Raphael ran without taking any notice of his surroundings, he'd find his way back no problem. It was getting away from Shiho that was his main focus. It wasn't that he didn't like her, he just didn't like that she was replacing Leo's need for his brothers. Raph had been angry for a long time; he took his frustration out on the trees he darted past by slicing the trunks with his sai weapons. Jumping up into the trees, the turtle sprung from branch to branch and came back down to the ground with a roll.

"Raphael! Stop!" Called a voice behind him, a voice he really didn't want to hear. But he stopped when he came to a clearing in the woods and huffed for breath. Judging by the way she stumbled forward and gasped for breath, she was running with everything she had to catch up to him.

"What do you want?" He asked coldly, staring her down and sizing her up.

"I wanna know what the hell your problem with me is. Don't think I haven't noticed the stares you give me when I'm with Leo," He stood in silence for a few moments before sending his fist into the trunk of an innocent tree with a growl of frustration. He hated that he was so easy to succumb to his anger like this, it made him feel rotten.

"It's just, he's never around anymore! He's always running off with you and ditching us at home while you two go around the city like a bunch of lovesick bunnies," Sputtering, Shiho gave him an incredulous look and a disbelieving chuckle.

"That's what this is about? You think I'm taking Leo away from you?" Raphael didn't answer. "Listen to me Raphael, I'm not trying to take him from you guys. How can I make you understand that he and I aren't just friends anymore or even best friends?"

"You think I don't know that? I see what's going on, you got him in the hot pants with your good looks and skills. I bet that's all you guys do when you're alone. Make out and screw like rabbits," His sentence ended with a sharp slap in the face from her palm. Shiho was red in the cheeks and panting heavily.

"How dare you, Raphael. That is not what's happening between us, don't you get it? I love Leonardo," Raph had suspected that her feelings for his brother might have been strong, but he never imagined it escalated that far. "We love each other, Raph. But that doesn't mean that he has stopped loving you. You guys are all he talks about,"

"So, let me get this straight. When you and him run off to do whatever, he talks about us?" The ninja rubbed his cheek where her hand had collided with his skin, she'd left a handprint that stung like a bitch.

"Yes! He goes on and on with stories and how proud he is of all of you, how much he loves you. He's your brother, Raphael. That's something I can't take away, nor do I want to. But dammit, you can't treat me like some tart," Raphael directed his attention to the ground in shame and sat on one of the nearby boulders. His elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together, he started to come to grips with the change in reality.

"I'm in love with Leo, and he loves me, but that doesn't change how he feels about you all. You guys are his family," Shiho knelt between Raphael's knees to make him look at her. "No one can take that away, understand?"

"I guess so…you really love him huh?" With a bashful smile, Shiho nodded.

"Very much, now can you stop being such a grump and lighten up like the rest of your brothers? I want you guys to have fun up here, not brood around," Raph laughed out loud at that one, he had to admit, his attitude had been nasty and made him quite unapproachable.

"Yeah, c'mere, Fuzzball," Raph captured the vixen in his arms for a tight embrace. Bringing her own arms up and around, Shiho pressed a long kiss to his cheek and just let the tension release. The ninja stared at the ground with his chin on her shoulder as he swallowed his pride and accepted he'd been wrong. The hold he had on her fragile frame tightened as he squeezed her close. It felt nice, holding her, he could see why Leo was always wrapping his arms around the supple curves she had.

"What's going on?" The reconciling pair jumped apart when Leo's voice broke the silence. His eyes were on Raphael, and they looked downright livid. The look made Shiho tremble as he slowly approached his brother and shoved him hard on the chest. "I said; what is going…ON?!"

"Leo, don't!" She shouted and attempted to grab his arm but he shrugged her hand off his bicep with a sneer. "Leo? What…what's the matter?"

"I saw what was going on, you leaving me for him? Is that what's happening here? You get what you want out of me and move on to the next turtle?" Raphael climbed to his feet and brushed himself off. His hands were held up in front of him in a defense and tried to speak.

"Leo, no. It's not like that! I was just-"

"Taking my girl away from me. When you know damn well how I feel about her, I come out here and see you with your arms around her!" Leo growled and unsheathed his swords and jumped at Raphael with a roar. The brother quickly pulled out his sai and collided with the swords just before they nailed him in the face. The hothead grunted and shoved Leo off him with a kick. Horrified, Shiho made a dash around the fighting brothers, looking for an opening to pry them apart. "You were always jealous of me for what I have with her!"

"Leo! Stop it! It isn't what you think, just listen to me!" Shiho dove between her turtles and shoved them roughly apart and making them stumble for a footing. Leo's hands clenched his swords tightly as his teeth grit together in a scowl. He looked at her neck to see the sword shard glinting in the pale moonlight, it only made him angrier to see the gift he'd made and given to her. He couldn't stand how betrayed he felt.

"Why should I listen to you? You've been lying to me all along haven't you? Donnie found what was in your DNA and what mutated your mind. You didn't develop the Madness when you were 5, Marcus gave it to you," Her arms dropped to her sides like Raph, tall ears pulled back in fear. Leo was glaring at her in a way that made her heart almost stop; he never looked at her that way.

"Leo, you don't understand. I was trying to protect you, all of you. I love you, Leonardo-"

"Shut-it, I don't want to hear it because I don't believe you." Even Raphael knew those words hit the fox through the heart like a dagger; he saw it in the way she took an uneasy step backwards. "And I don't love you,"

"What?!" In unison, Raphael and Shiho shouted. Slowly, the fox approached the ninja with her arm outstretched for his hand. "Leo, please. Don't do this; you have to believe me when I say I'm protecting you. I always have been. Leo…"

The ninja couldn't look at her and turned his head to the side to look at the dirt. Through glowing, violet hues, tears rolled down her lovely cheeks as she stopped advancing the sword holder. She couldn't see it but there was moisture in his eyes as well. Shooting a glare at Raphael, Shiho stomped her foot.

"I hope you're happy, Raphael. You got what you wanted all along, now I'm out of the picture," Leo glanced up when he heard the sobs in her voice. Raphael didn't want her around? Instantly he began to realize he had come in on their conversation at the wrong time and mistook what was happening. But, he didn't have the chance to apologize when all three of them heard a giggle from the trees. Shiho froze, she knew that laugh anywhere.

"Leo…Raphael…run. It's Magdalena. She found me," The soft thud of feet hitting the dirt shot their attention to the left and out of the shadows came the blonde fox, the spitting image of Shiho.

"Hahaha, hello, Big Sister. You're looking well after your harrowing escape from the lab. Daddy sent me to bring you home. Oh! Is this him? The one you've been absolutely crazy for? Oh my, he is positively hideous!" Piercing blue eyes glowed in the moonlight as the blonde got right in Leonardo's face and mocked his appearance. Behind her, Shiho clenched her hands into fists and cracked her knuckles in the process. "Oh look, she's mad. Hehehe, is it playtime Big Sister?"

"Shiho get down!"

"Raph no! She'll kill you, don't move. She's mine," A clicking of her tag and a wagging of her finger back and forth, Magdalena danced her fingers down Leonardo's neck and over his biceps. He cringed at her touch and jumped back swiftly. "Magdalena…get your hands off him. Leonardo, get out of here, now!"

"I'm not leaving you, Shiho," For a moment, Shiho lowered her claws as the giant crack in her heart began to mend. Had he been faking it? Her glory was short lived when she had to duck from flying claws as Magdalena swung around to scratch her clone. The brothers regrouped as the fight between the two foxes began.

"I'm not going back!" Shiho's claws clasped with Magdalena's and snapped her jaws in her face, desperately trying to get her neck. With a kick to her feet, Magdalena knocked Shiho backwards but didn't react quickly enough when she landed on her hands and was kicked in the chest by bother of her feet.

The blonde suddenly let out a blood-curdling snarl and launched at Shiho and forced her to the ground, growling, snapping, and clawing feverishly until Shiho bashed her forehead against the clone fox and scurried away to run to Leo. "Come on! We gotta get out of here!"

Shiho reached for his hand but fell short when a dart pierced her shoulder blade. Leo tried to catch her but Magdalena was too fast and snatched Shiho out of reach just as she collapsed. Giggling like a maniacal child, the blonde minx blew them both a kiss. "Leo..run!"

Shiho managed the last two words before losing to the sedative that she'd been shot with. Magdalena sprinted away and neck breaking speed before Leo could take a single step. His hand was still outstretched as he stood in stunned silence, Raphael beside him was unable to wrap his brain around what just happened. Shiho was gone, this time by no will of her own. She was taken.

"Shiho! NO!" With his hands covering his face, Leo fell to his knees in disbelief. He said he didn't love her, he'd said it with such a chill in his voice that it made him sick to his stomach. His Shiho was stolen away and he was powerless to stop it, the clone had overpowered Shiho so quickly, he couldn't imagine what she'd do to him or Raphael. He was hysterical; he slammed his swords into the ground and let out a gut-wretching scream that brought birds out of their nests in a panic.

"Leo! Get it together! We need to get back before that blonde bitch gets too far, Donnie still has that tracker in her right?" Raph had him by the shoulders and shook him to bring him back to focus.

"I said I didn't love her, Raph. It wasn't true, and now I'll never see her again! God dammit!" Leo was silenced by a sucker punch to the mouth. Raph shook his hand out and snorted.

"Now is not the time, Leo. Come on!" Retrieving his katanas from the dirt, Leo started to run back to the house with Raph right behind him. His lungs burned and his legs ached but he wasn't going to stop. He'd never stop until he had that blonde fox by the throat. No one took Shiho away and lived.

* * *

**A/N: Dun dun duuuunnnnn! Oh snap, Magdalena done snatched up Shiho like she was nothin! So, I was watching the 2007 TMNT movie earlier, and could NOT stop swooning over that version of Leonardo, the fuck is wrong with me!?**


	7. Don't Lose Faith

**A/N: Okay so...I did it again and watched TMNT (2007). I can't stop, I have Turtle Fever. Anywayy, more development on our kidnapped fox and Leo's guilt. He's always blaming himself for everything that goes wrong in his family, I played into that a little. Read and Review please!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

**Previously: **"_Shiho! NO!" With his hands covering his face, Leo fell to his knees in disbelief. He said he didn't love her, he'd said it with such a chill in his voice that it made him sick to his stomach. His Shiho was stolen away and he was powerless to stop it, the clone had overpowered Shiho so quickly, he couldn't imagine what she'd do to him or Raphael. He was hysterical; he slammed his swords into the ground and let out a gut-wretching scream that brought birds out of their nests in a panic._

"_Leo! Get it together! We need to get back before that blonde bitch gets too far, Donnie still has that tracker in her right?" Raph had him by the shoulders and shook him to bring him back to focus._

"_I said I didn't love her, Raph. It wasn't true, and now I'll never see her again! God dammit!" Leo was silenced by a sucker punch to the mouth. Raph shook his hand out and snorted._

"_Now is not the time, Leo. Come on!" Retrieving his katanas from the dirt, Leo started to run back to the house with Raph right behind him. His lungs burned and his legs ached but he wasn't going to stop. He'd never stop until he had that blonde fox by the throat. No one took Shiho away and lived._

* * *

"Wake up, Big Sister! You're home at last!" Chirped an annoyingly high in pitch voice, the shrill sound made the pounding in Shiho's head escalate to an absolute throbbing. Groaning and blinking multiple times to clear her blurry vision, the violet fox rubbed her head and started to stand slowly. She didn't remember much, how she got wherever she was at was a mystery. The only memory she had remaining was the fight with Leo and Raph, she clung to the vision of his face and the sound of his angered voice in his denial for loving her.

"Leo...ugh, where am I?" That giggling again came from her left. Snapping her head to the side, Shiho gasped at the sight of Magdalena sitting in a metal chair with her chin resting in her palms and staring at her. Suddenly, the rest of her memory returned. "Where's Leo? What have you done with him?"

Shiho shifted to wrap her hands around the blonde clone's neck but was stopped, she was restrained. Bound by chains around her wrists and even her neck, like some animal. The bubbly, blonde smiled like the lunatic that she really was and waggled her finger.

"Ah-ah-ah, Big Sister. Relax, I didn't touch your precious boyfriend. I gotta say, you really know how to pick 'em. Oh this is so exciting," The shackled vixen yanked and tore at her chains with grunts and growls at the mention of Leonardo while being laughed at. She couldn't stand the sound of Magdalena's voice. It was so shrill and innocent, when she knew that wretched clone was twisted to the core. "You'll see your little friends again, real soon."

"What is that supposed to mean? You had better not lay a finger on Leonardo or the turtles. What is Marcus up to, Magdalena? Tell me or I swear I will strangle that throat of yours," The blonde stood to get right in Shiho's face, just out of her reach. A smile that was both sweet and menacing curved her pale lips.

"You'll have to catch me first. But, in the mean time, make yourself at home. Because, let's face it. You're never leaving again, Daddy will miss you too much," Before Shiho could spit a threat the clone disappeared through the only door in the room and locked it. Now that she was gone, Shiho had the chance to observe her surroundings…if you could call it that. It was a plain room with nothing in it except for the metal chair and Shiho's shackles. The ceiling was high like the white walls, she guessed maybe twenty feet, it made her feel small and trapped. High up on the wall where the only door stood was a panel of tinted glass that stretched the entire width, she was being watched. She was even back in that wretched night gown that reached her knees.

"Dammit…I have to get out of here," Backing up to the wall, Shiho slid onto her backside and pulled her knees close to her chest to hide her face against her thighs. Even though she was God knows where and potentially never getting out again, the only thing Shiho could find focus on was Leonardo.

'_I don't love you,'_ He'd said it with such a frigid tone that it turned her insides to ice when it echoed in her head. Leo wasn't coming for her; she could feel it in her gut. Why would he? She lied. If he found out what the intention of the Madness was really for, he'd have killed her on the spot that night she told them about it. The fox began to think if she'd have been better off dead and told him the truth.

Tear filled violet eyes glanced down at the shard of Leo's katana that hung around her neck and grasped it in her palm. Even though he hated her, she still wished he was there. She wished they were all there; Leo, Mikey, Donnie, Raph…hell she even missed Casey. With trembling shoulders and a quivering lip, the fox broke down in her solitude and wept. "I'm sorry, Leo.."

* * *

The turtles stayed at the cabin while they attempted to come up with a plan to find the stolen fox. Leonardo had become consumed with impatience and worry…even fear, he couldn't stand not knowing where she was, if she was even alive. He and Raph had come face to face with that clone of hers and watched their fox get beaten into submission like she was a mall cop.

"Dammit, Donnie, it's been 3 days already and we haven't moved. Why aren't we following her signal?!" Slamming his fist into the floor where they all sat with a map of the state of New York stretched out in the center, Leo clenched his teeth and glared at the genius. Donatello sighed helplessly and used a marker to circle the area where he'd lost track of Shiho's signal.

"This is the last recorded location I was able to receive from her tracker. Going towards upstate New York. She could be anywhere because it's wide open country up there," He tried to explain, he wasn't able to search much further, he didn't design the tracker to go that far.

"Then we go to the last recorded spot and see if we can pick up another signal. We can't just sit here. I can't just sit here,"

"Leonardo, your brother is doing his best. Please, try to be patient while we come up with a plan. We will find her, my son, and we will bring her home," Like always, Splinter was being the mediator. He sensed the heightened energy that Leonardo was giving off and had to stop it before it escalated into a nasty fight. The last thing they needed was to turn on each other.

"Alright, if we leave now, we should be at this spot by nightfall giving us the advantage of not being seen. We might need a diversion. April?" All four of the turtles cast their gaze on April and Casey; they were their best distraction team. A look of defeat came over the vigilante's face.

"Alright, fine. But I am not dealing with anymore of those utrom security guards," Donnie just stared.

"You went in there with a toaster and started screaming 'Give me a toaster or give me death,' what did you think was gonna happen?" The genius snorted, looking all too smug. If anyone could find a way into wherever Shiho was, it was Donnie. But it was Leonardo who had a vendetta for both the scientist and the blonde. He was going to be the one to settle this and get his vixen back, and he wasn't going to stop until they were back in New York and she was in his arms again.

"So it's settled. We're leaving today. Remember, we need to be as fast as we can, if you run into that clone do not engage in a fight with her. She was strong enough to take Shiho down, and Shiho is built like a brick wall. Magdalena is dangerous," Leo spoke while strapping his swords to his shell, his brothers nodded slowly. For all they knew, Magdalena had to potential to pry them all out of their shells and rip their insides out.

"Come on, let's go save your girlfriend," Raph laid his hand on Leo's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze to let him know that he'd follow him no matter what, his stupid jealousy was dead and buried. Leo swallowed hard before being the first to leave and get in the van; he was deeply conflicted with the last thing he'd said to Shiho before she was taken.

Leonardo had been more than upset, he thought what he saw was Raph holding Shiho in a way that she only allowed him to. But he had been wrong, painfully wrong. Both brothers talked about it and Raph had to explain his problem with the fox and that they were only resolving the conflict when he found them. Leo hadn't slept the entire time she was gone, every time he closed his eyes he would see that heart broken look on her face as he told her he didn't love her.

But obviously, it wasn't true. He wanted to hurt her as much as he thought she'd hurt him, and he'd succeeded. There was no telling what she was thinking now or if she was even alive to think about him. One thing was for sure, Leo was going to find her no matter what it cost him and tell her, make sure she knew that he'd been wrong. That he did love her. All that was left now, was the journey and the time from here until getting there to be prisoner to his thoughts and guilt.

* * *

Shiho's nightmare was starting all over again when Marcus showed ugly mug his, the sight f him alone made the blood boil in her veins. Tall and slender in his build, she guessed he was just about 6'5". His hair was always slicked back, it remined her of oil in it's color and texture; black and shiny. His face was angular and sharp in the cheekbones, his chin like a chisel. Even his eyes were angular in shape but dull in their color; brown. Ugly brown and hidden behind square glasses.

Why didn't he just destroy her already? She couldn't understand why he was keeping her alive once he had her, that's what he was trying to do the night she escaped. The question turned over and over in the fox's mind as she was led by the shackle around her neck with a blindfold covering those bright eyes. He was utilizing every tactic to keep her from learning her way around and escaping once again. Couldn't very well lure in the kill without bait.

"Get on the table," Roughly, the blindfold was yanked off her face. Instantly, Shiho shielded her eyes from the overwhelmingly bright lights. When she didn't do what she was instructed to, Marcus firmly shoved her onto the hard, metal table. The fox yelped before growling and baring her teeth. "Oh stop being such a bad child and do what I tell you,"

"What are you planning, Marcus? I won't let you hurt-"

"Leonardo, yes I know. Will you shut up about Leonardo, my goodness girl. Does he know you're this obsessed?" Securing her to the table that was bolted and welded to the floor, Marcus sat just across from her and brought his foot up to rest on his knee with a clipboard in his hand. "Honestly, I don't understand how you can even look at those monsters let alone date one,"

"They aren't the monster, Marcus, you are."

"Ooh, like I haven't heard that one before. Tell me, you have a different aura about you now, did he make you a woman?" The hesitation in Shiho's face made her creator smirk. When she clenched her canines and looked away it was all the answer he needed. "Oh my, the pure and innocent Shiho is now a woman. Made so by a mutant turtle, I have to say it's quite disturbing. Did you enjoy it? I imagine having sex with an overgrown turtle is a workout,"

Shiho spit in his face to make him stop talking and rumbled a low growl in the pit of her chest. She wasn't going to let this man say such terrible things about the ninja, her ninja…Leo had saved her once and had continued to be the support and inspiration that she needed to not go off the deep end. But with the way things were left the last time she saw him, she wasn't sure if what they had even existed anymore.

"You've grown quite disobedient in your time in the city. Maybe a little discipline will put you in your place. I'm sure once those turtles come to your rescue, we can work something out,"

"He isn't coming.." Shiho's vice dropped in tone and volume, much like her heart which sunk to her stomach.

"Really? And why wouldn't he? I thought this Leonardo loved you," Marcus was being cruel, writing down every reaction and facial expression she made. He even made note of the moisture in her eyes, she'd become quite human in her emotions it seemed.

"It doesn't matter. He won't come, I don't see why he would after I lied to him," Marcus had grown bored of the conversation and wanted to get on with his list of experiments. The first, was her muscles reaction to electro-static surges. Through her struggling and fighting, Marcus managed to stick wires to her major muscles.

"Now, Shiho. Make sure you tell me everything that you're feeling. We'll start on a low level. We're looking for an increased tolerance in pain, understand?" At a panel with knobs and buttons, Marcus chuckled and turned on the voltage and shocked the young fox until she screamed. "Interesting,"

* * *

Leonardo had done everything in his power to not get behind the wheel of the van and floor it to get to the last spot where Shiho's tracker registered. He couldn't stand how long the drive was taking, they'd been on the road all day. The group slept while he and Donnie stayed up in case his locater went off with a received signal. Magdalena had taken her far off from Manhattan, way off, so far in fact they had driven almost all the way across New York to where the signal stopped towards the outskirts of Genesee.

"Leo! I've got it! Her signal hasn't moved from Niagara in the last 3 days. She just inside the county line. We've got her," Passing through the county of Genesee, Donnie had at last received another signal after they had come to her last recorded location. Leo felt his angst dissipate only slightly, but enough to at least make him feel like they were closer.

"Good job, Donnie. Are you able to get a mapped view of where she's at? Address maybe?" Leaning over his brother's shoulder, Leo looked on to Donnie's computer screen as he typed furiously to get the information he needed. In the driver's seat, Casey listened closely for directions, he most certainly didn't want to get lost with Leo in the car.

"Working on it now. I should have a detailed view of her location in a few minutes. Then, if it exists, I'll be able to hack into whatever system is there and find out if there's any security systems and hidden entrances; drainage, vents, you know the drill," With a long sigh of relief, Leo firmly pat Donnie on the arm.

"Thanks, Donnie. You're a genius," The younger brother chuckled and focused on his laptop.

"I know." Smug nerd. Leo returned to sitting between April and Casey near the front. April was able to see just how worried he really was, his bloodshot eyes were clue enough.

"Don't worry, Leo. We're going to find her and bring her home," She used as gentle of a voice as she could, he looked like he could break with the wrong words. When Leo closed his eyes and dropped his head, April knew just how tormented his mind was.

"You don't understand, April. The look on her face when I said that, I can't stop seeing it. I should never have said it…because I didn't mean it," April didn't catch the details of that night he had fought Raphael, all she knew about the situation was that Shiho was sedated and kidnapped. With a tilt in her head, she studied him with her eyes.

"What exactly did you say, Leo?" He remained silent for a few moments. Remembering his foolishness was embarrassing and painful because he'd acted out of anger and jealousy. It was something he just didn't do, he was Leonardo, the leader. Not Leonardo, the jealous boyfriend that jumps to conclusions and shatters the one girl who ever actually gave a damn.

"Well, I walked in on her and Raph in the forest clearing, he had his arms around her. I didn't know what was going on so I blew up at her, it was stupid and I know that now. She didn't deserve it..."

"What did you say, Leo?" April repeated, only this time she was stern.

"I said…I said I didn't love her," Both April and Casey exchanged surprised glances. They were both caught off guard that Leo had the potential to be cruel when angered. She almost couldn't believe it. "And it's the last thing she heard from me before being taken. It wasn't true, I still…"

"I get it, Leo. But you can't torture yourself like this. Shiho is the kind of girl who is going to stick around forever, but, I'm sure she's pissed," Casey didn't really have a way with words, if anything he made the ninja feel worse. Catching the look of disdain on his face, April slapped him on the leg. "Ow! What?!"

"Not helping, Casey! Jeez, just shut-up and drive. Don't listen to him, Leo. Shiho is alive, and she still loves you. Let's just find her okay?" The remnants of a smile came to Leo's face as he nodded. April always knew what to say and how to make him feel better. "Just hang on to that faith and notion and you'll be alright."

With that, Leo's hope started to look up. From the start he was doubting that the fox was alive, she said that Marcus was trying to get rid of her the day they met. But, the one thing that conflicted Leo the most is why she lied, why she felt she had to hide the real origins of her Madness from him. He'd always been as honest as he could with her and just expected her to do the same. He thought of what she had said, that she was protecting him. The part that made him crazy was what was she protecting him from?

Leo decided he'd have his answers when he confronted Marcus, he wasn't sure if he was going to put an end to his existence yet or not. Leonardo wasn't the killing type of ninja, Raph might be able to do something that extreme, but definitely not Leo. He hoped it wouldn't come to that and they would spring Shiho free without much conflict. But of course, nothing was ever that easy. Getting her back was going to be risky and possibly life threatening with that clone thrown into the equation. But, he figured, if he could live through all the reappearances of The Shredder, aliens, and even that crazy scientist Baxter Stockman, he could handle one genetically altered girl. Or at least, that's what he was hoping for.

* * *

**A/N: I think I'm having a crisis here. I've fallen back into my TMNT obsession. So, I'm still working on my major conflict between the turtles, Magdalena, Marcus, and Shiho. Also the fight between her and Leo. This is my first TMNT fic after all, so, I'm kinda wingin it as I go along. I hope it's good ; ~ ;**


	8. Guilt, Memories, and the Foot

**A/N: Yee, I'm getting good responses with my turtle tale. You guys are awesome! :) I'm glad you guys enjoy reading my material, really I am. I hope you enjoy Shiho as a character, she's been a very important OC to me for a long time. Hehe, anyway! I'm still working on how to write fight sequences with the boys. It's getting there. And yes, it's another slight song chapter, bouncing back and forth between Leo and Shiho. Read and Review! :D**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

**Previously: **_With that, Leo's hope started to look up. From the start he was doubting that the fox was alive, she said that Marcus was trying to get rid of her the day they met. But, the one thing that conflicted Leo the most is why she lied, why she felt she had to hide the real origins of her Madness from him. He'd always been as honest as he could with her and just expected her to do the same. He thought of what she had said, that she was protecting him. The part that made him crazy was what was she protecting him from?_

_Leo decided he'd have his answers when he confronted Marcus, he wasn't sure if he was going to put an end to his existence yet or not. Leonardo wasn't the killing type of ninja, Raph might be able to do something that extreme, but definitely not Leo. He hoped it wouldn't come to that and they would spring Shiho free without much conflict. But of course, nothing was ever that easy. Getting her back was going to be risky and possibly life threatening with that clone thrown into the equation. But, he figured, if he could live through all the reappearances of The Shredder, aliens, and even that crazy scientist Baxter Stockman, he could handle one genetically altered girl. Or at least, that's what he was hoping for._

* * *

Like Donnie had said, the trip did take all day long as they went from one end of the state to the other, moving far inland. Further than they had ever been before. By now, it was just after 5 o'clock in the afternoon and the sun was receding below the horizon. The rays cast a warm orange glow through the front windows of the van as Leo sat with his shell against the back doors. He was trying his best to pass the time on his own laptop that April and Shiho had picked up for him a while back.

Raphael had been sitting behind April's seat and watched Leo, watched every smile he made at whatever it was he was looking at. Sometimes, the ninja was impossible to read and understand, but he was still Leo, his brother. It was clear as day just how torn up inside he was and Raph couldn't help but feel as though he contributed to the pain. If he hadn't taken off, she never would have run after him and probably wouldn't have been attacked by the clone. Leo probably never would have said what he had if Raph wasn't such a hothead jerk.

"Leo, you can't do this to yourself. It wasn't your fault," He looked up from the screen and minimized the window as Raph sat beside him to his left. Raph knew what he was going through, pictures that he and Shiho had taken together along with the rest of the family in the time she'd been around. "I know, waiting is the hard part. How I felt when Master Splinter went missing that time we took out the Shredder,"

_Oh I had a lot to say was thinking on my time away  
I missed you and things weren't the same_

"Then why does it feel like my fault? I should have protected her, Raph. She was right there and I didn't grab her...I didn't trust her for something she didn't do...Didn't even give her the chance to explain about her DNA. Just..shut her out," With one of his knees bent up and the other stretched out, Raph rested the crook of his arm on the knee pad. Leo's guilt was something he could never defeat. Opening the window back up, they both went through the pictures.

_Cause everything inside it never comes out right  
And when I see you cry it makes me want to die_

Shiho sat curled up with her knees tucked against her chest and her tail wrapped snuggly about herself in the corner of her plain room. Bruises, scratches, red burns, and track marks decorated her arms and legs from today. She wasn't even paying attention to the agony she felt physically; the personal anguish in her head is what was destroying her from the inside out.

'_I don't love you,' _His voice played on repeat in her head, her memory refusing to leave her alone. She could still see his face and the fury behind the blue mask.

_I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry you're blue, I'm sorry about all things I said to you  
And I know I can't take it back  
I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds, and baby the way you make my world go round  
And I just wanted to say I'm sorry:_

Leo and Raph chuckled at a photo from a few weeks ago, of Mikey dead asleep on the couch and Shiho with a sharpie in her hand. She'd been grinning with a thumbs up as April snapped the memory in place. He remembered how hard Mikey had laughed when he woke up to a scribbled on mustache across his face between his nostrils and upper lip. The ninja had tackled the fox to the ground and drew on her face in revenge, giving her a curly mustache and angry sharp eyebrows.

Photos filled with Shiho and his brothers and Splinter made Leo sore in the chest. He shouldn't even be doing this but he just couldn't stop, it was the only way he could see her face.

_This time I think I'm to blame_

_It's harder to get through the days  
You get older and blame turns to shame_

_Cause everything inside it never comes out right  
And when I see you cry it makes me want to die_

Raph squeezed Leo's arm as he watched his brother clench his teeth and stare at the screen while going through picture after picture; one memory after another. He almost couldn't stand the guilt, the pictures had the face of Shiho when it was bright and etched with elation and what he perceived as pure happiness. But all that was burned into his head was the look on her face 3 nights ago.

_I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry you're blue, I'm sorry about all things I said to you  
And I know I can't take it back  
I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds, and baby the way you make my world go round  
And I just wanted to say I'm sorry:_

Shiho leaned over to the side and wretched, her stomach was sour from all of the fluids she'd been injected with over the course of the day. How she wished she had been able to reach Leo's hand, to be pulled out of the danger zone and tucked away behind him. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, the fox leaned her head back against the wall with her legs starting to ease out in front of her. She just wanted to die already.

Dying seemed like a better option than being filled with chemicals that made her muscles ache and her stomach churn, eventually making her so sick she couldn't stand anymore. Of course, in the back of her mind, Shiho could hear a speech Leonardo would give her for giving up so easily. But she was tired; tired of being Marcus' lab rat and anything else he planned to use her for. She was tired of missing Leonardo so much that her chest ached and her throat closed around the lump that brought her close to sobbing. Giving up sounded so easy.

_Every single day I think about how we came all this way  
The sleepless nights and the tears you cried it's never too late to make it right  
Oh yeah sorry!_

_I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry you're blue, I'm sorry about all things I said to you  
And I know I can't take it back  
I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds, and baby the way you make my world go round  
And I just wanted to say I'm sorry:_

By now the sun had disappeared and the van had grown dark inside. The only light was the stereo at the front of the van and Leonardo's laptop screen. His brothers had all woken up and were getting ready for just about anything. The last picture that he looked at was one Casey had taken, of Leo and Shiho after she jumped onto the back of his shell and smooched him on the cheek. His face was surprised and his cheeks were flushed but he was smiling and so was she.

_I'm sorry, Baby_

_I'm sorry, Baby yeah_

_I'm sorry_

"Leo, we're here," Donnie's voice made Leo snap shut the lid of his laptop and blink away the stupid tears that had made their way to the corners of his eyes. Looking out the windshield, Leo could tell they were in the middle of absolute nowhere. This was going to have to happen smoothly, any mishaps could leave them stranded with no way home. "Casey, park the van across the road behind that abandoned gas station. You got your headpiece?"

"Yeah," The van turned suddenly and came to rest behind an old, run down building that look like it had been vacant for decades. Quietly, all of them crawled out of the van and Donnie outfitted everyone with the necessary equipment they'd need to stay in contact while being stealthy. Leo felt his mind focus sharply on getting inside.

Across the road looked to be a distribution building where semis would filled up on cargo to take out all over the country, Leo could tell by the row of square doors elevated off the ground for the trailers to pull up to. A fence surrounded the entire perimeter, it looked electric which made him nervous. The building was long and stood at least ten stories high. Whatever this place was, getting inside wasn't going to be easy, he didn't even see any windows. Only the cargo doors and one set of double doors on the far right but it looked to be one of those doors you needed a passcode to open.

"Hey guys, take a look!" Casey whispered sharply as he looked from the other side of the gas station. The turtles, Splinter, and April all poked their heads out for a look to see what Casey was bugging them about. 3 figures were walking in a stiff fashion around the perimeter fence, dressed in black clothing and masks over their faces. "Uh…does anyone want to tell me why this place is being guarded by the Foot?"

"That doesn't make any sense…Master Splinter?" Donnie looked to his sensei for an answer, but the grey mentor rubbed the bottom of his muzzle inquisitively and hummed quietly to himself, perplexed.

"I do not know. I was sure we had seen the last of them; it seems there is more than meets the eye in this situation. My sons, we must proceed with the utmost caution," Raph growled and tightened his fists together before he sharply turned to gather up his sais and a few smoke pellets.

"Dudes…this is like déjà vu with the Foot. I'm so excited! Fear not, fair foxy dudette, your turtles are bringing major league butt-kicking back with a vengeance," Mikey chuckled and tucked his nun chucks into his belt with a grin. He felt insanely nostalgic; it had been years since any of them had seen a Foot ninja. "Let us go rescue the damsel babe from the tower and fight the dragon!"

"Shut up, Mikey! You're gonna blow our cover, Knucklehead," Raph punched his little brother in the arm as a warning.

"Ow! Hey!" All of them shushed the chucker; he crossed his arms and pouted. Donnie and Leo rolled their eyes as they went over a plan to breach the perimeter and track down Shiho. Donnie could see she was somewhere on the top floor in the middle of the building. The hard part was getting there.

"Using April and Casey as a diversion is going to be harder than I thought…"

"Just get me in there, Donnie." Leo sheathed his swords with a tight jaw and narrowed eyes. He was getting Shiho back tonight, he wasn't leaving without her.

* * *

"Daddy, are you sure those turtles are coming? Shiho doesn't seem too convinced," Magdalena joined Marcus in the dark room that overlooked Shiho's cell. He'd been watching her in her misery since he wrapped up his experiments for the day. He wondered just how long it was going to be before she broke and became the monster he made her to be.

"I'm sure they will, Angel. She wouldn't bother living if she weren't clinging to some hope. They had better come, I'll make them pay for stripping me of my fortune. The irony in the situation is appetizing, though, this should be entertaining," On the desk, the phone rang a few times before Marcus picked up impatiently.

"What is it?" He barked into the receiver. The guard on the other line informed him that they had some strange people in a van at the front gate and asking for directions. "Get them out of here, you idiot." The blonde's ears perked and opened when Marcus slammed the phone back down.

"What's going on, Daddy? Need me to take care of something?"

"No, no. It seems we might have visitors sooner than we anticipated. Though, you should keep an eye on your sister," A childish giggle spilled from her cherry lips in a spurt of excitement. Things were just about to get interesting, Shiho was going to destroy the turtles and that rat for all that she had done. Marcus would be rid of the brothers and Shiho would drown in her suffering.

In the darkness of her bare room, Marcus could see the bright, chemical glow of his creations eyes. They had fallen dim, he imagined her emotions were playing a roll in the chemical reactions that happened inside her body. A sharp smile came across his thin lips watching her misery, after all she had done, she was going to pay. They all were, especially those insufferable turtles. He couldn't wait to reveal what Shiho really was to them all, what she was built for; built to destroy them all.

* * *

"Alright, Casey and April have most of the guards distracted. That dark spot over there in the corner is our way in," Donnie whispered to his brothers as April and Casey put on a show for the Foot guards at the gate. They pretended to be in a domestic spat about Casey never stopping and asking for directions.

"But, Donnie…the fence?" Mikey pointed out, obviously afraid of being electrocuted. His older brothers all exchanged glances before throwing him up over the barbed wire to land in the dirt on the other side. "Not..cool!" He spat some dirt from between his teeth as the others gave each other a leg up and stuck to the shadows to get to the building. "You guys really suck, you know that? Jeez,"

"April, we're in," Leo whispered into his head piece. April caught the signal and slapped Casey as hard as she could.

"OW! April!"

"I knew I shouldn't have stuck around with you, my mother was right! You're a useless, stupid man with no sense of direction!" She screamed, trying to keep the gist up and the attention on them. Casey saw that one coming, he knew she wasn't acting when he saw her smirk.

"Oh yeah? Well…maybe your mother is just a crazy old bat with nothin' better to do but talk smack about Casey Jones!" The Foot guards, about 8 of them, stood by helplessly watching the couple banter back and forth. They passed confused glances amongst each other.

"How dare you!"

* * *

"Okay guys, there should be a fire escape around here somewhere…there!" Donnie pointed to a big grey door. It was outfitted with a fire alarm to sound off whenever it was opened. He cracked his knuckles and cracked open the circuit panel on the top of the door and disconnected the necessary wires. "Piece of cake,"

"Aw man…now I want cake…"

"Mikey, when DON'T you want food? Come on, Leo, you first," He didn't have to tell the leader twice as he silently dashed through the door and pressed his back against the wall. A security camera hung in the corner and scanned the hallway.

"Donnie, camera!" He whispered sharply. Into his shoulder bag, the ninja withdrew a can of black spraypaint and covered the lens of the camera to give them some concealment. "Alright guys, they're gonna notice the blacked out camera in a matter of minutes. We need to get upstairs without being noticed, so keep low and keep quiet,"

The brothers followed their brother in stealth, doing their best to avoid any Foot ninja that was coming their way, The last thing they needed was to be noticed, fighting a bunch of hired muscle was going to get them caught. Donnie listened on his headpiece as April chimed in.

"Donnie! Hurry up! They know you're there!" All of them heard her say it and collectively groaned. Getting upstairs was going to take a lifetime if they had to go up against ninjas on every level. Just as she had said it, Leo spotted a bunch of shadows being cast on a far away wall coming right for them

"Guys! We have company, let's move!" Both Raph and Mikey grinned and grasped their weapons. They'd been dying for some good action, rescuing Shiho and fighting ninjas? They had this in the bag. The only problem that settled among them all was what the heck a bunch of Foot ninja were doing in a laboratory.

Running down the hall, the boys came to a large lobby where the elevators and stairways were. At least here, they'd had the room to knock these guys out and take off without much of a struggle. Or so they hoped. The Foot were easy pickings, no problem, it was those Elite ninja that had them worried and hoping they wouldn't show their faces. The boys all stormed the ninjas that came running at them and clashed weapons and dodged kicks and punches.

Leo was in no mood today to waste him time with pesky ninjas and went at them with everything he had. He slashed his swords at another sword wielding Foot soldier over and over before clashing together with crossed blades. He clenched his teeth together and grinned, confusing his opponent enough to hesitate. Seeing his opportunity, Leo pulled his head back and slammed into the ninja's forehead to stun him. Drawing back is katana, Leo pushed the ninja back and kicked him once in the chest, jumped and sent a flying kick into his head and sent him flying into the wall. One down. 15 to go.

Mikey was having quite the time, purposely irritating the ninjas and bashing them in the head with his nun chucks. One in particular went at him with a scythe, swinging and hacking at the giggling turtle's feet trying to knock him down. When he swung again, Mikey jumped and landed on the blade with his feet before crouching and wagging his thick finger back and forth. "Ah-ahhh, not today!"

He jumped and flipped and knocked the Foot ninja under the chin, putting him in a daze. Mikey delicately stepped forward and pushed him over with his finger with an obnoxious laugh. "Hahahaaa, sleep tight, dude. Now, who's next?!"

* * *

Upstairs, Shiho was roused from her state of misery when an alarm started buzzing and blaring in her ears. Her headache hadn't subsided and the sound waves made her dizzy, too dizzy to stand on her feet. She hadn't eat in the last 4 days and was weaker than a newborn foal, complete with knocking knees and pathetically weak ankles. Over the loud speakers, she heard Marcus yell.

"Security breach, I want every man downstairs in that lobby! Bring those turtles to me alive!" Turtles? They were here? Shiho couldn't believe it, Leo came. The fox struggled to stand and used the wall as guiding support to bring her to her feet. The shackle around her neck was starting to rub burns into her skin every time she moved, making her wince from the shock of pain on the raw flesh. "You see, Shiho?! I told you they'd come. Now, you get to destroy those bothersome monsters for me, isn't that great?"

Marcus taunted her over the loudspeaker in her room. Her response was a loud growl and a sharp snap of her jaws. She was feisty in her defiance. The scientist flicked on all the lights in her room and instructed Magdalena to watch her as he left to fetch his prize. The blonde fox was all too eager to keep her eyes glued to her host, watching her try to regain what little strength she had left.

"How romantic, your boyfriend came to rescue you like a damsel in distress. Aren't you so happy to see him again?" Magdalena blurted into the speaker, she was pulling Shiho's strings like a puppet on stage. Poking at all the right exposed nerves to make her angry. Very angry. The result was Shiho pulling with all of her might on the shackles and chains, what she didn't know what they were wired. Her clone giggled as she pushed a button and sent bolts of electricity into Shiho by the neck and wrists. The fox howled and collapsed to her knees with her arms thrown around her middle.

"No, no, Big Sister. Mustn't break the chains. Daddy paid a lot of money for those! Sit tight, I'm sure Casanova will be here soon," Shiho could smell her burnt skin from where the shackles came in to contact with her wrists and neck. Slamming her palm against the wall, the fox fought to stand again and give another try at the chains, using her strong jaws and pulling with what little strength she had.

Again, Magdalena shocked her with more amusement than ever, watching her host scream and writhe in the pain was almost arousing. Over and over they played this game of pull and shock until Shiho hadn't the ability to even lift her head and laid on the floor of her room on her side. Heavily panting and twitching occasionally from the shocks, the fox prayed either for Leo to bust in the door any second or for death to just make its graceful appearance.

"Hehehehe, don't die just yet, silly. Leonardo isn't here! I want to play with him a little bit," That girl was more sadistic in her sanity than Shiho was in her Madness, because she chose to be that way. Tightly, Shiho clenched her teeth together and willed for Leo to find her. He had to, he was her only chance of getting out of her. But he was here, he was downstairs trying to get to her, which meant he still loved her, he had to. Or he wouldn't be risking his shell for a girl like her.

"Hurry, Leo.."

* * *

**A/N: Alright! We be gettin on. Chugga chugga chugga! :) Haha, Next chapter is in the works, so stay tuned my lovely duckies The song used was Sorry by Buckcherry. I found it relevant to the moment in the story and thought, "Hey! Leo is super guilty! Let's make it worse!" :) Too mean? I dunno. Nah, I love Leo to pieces, it's ridiculous. WHY ISN'T HE REAL?!**


	9. Never Underestimate Determination

**A/N: Hot damn I'm on a roll today! Watching the 2003-2010 series while writing me is giving me the creative juices necessary to get my material down. Sooo, we have conflict! But, this story isn't over, nooo not by a long shot! We got tons more fun to have with our turtles and lovely fox. I hope you're enjoying this! Read and Review please!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

**Previously: **"_How romantic, your boyfriend came to rescue you like a damsel in distress. Aren't you so happy to see him again?" Magdalena blurted into the speaker, she was pulling Shiho's strings like a puppet on stage. Poking at all the right exposed nerves to make her angry. Very angry. The result was Shiho pulled with all of her might on the shackles and chains, what she didn't know what they were wired. Her clone giggled as she pushed a button and sent bolts of electricity into Shiho by the neck and wrists. The fox howled and collapsed to her knees with her arms thrown around her middle._

"_No, no, Big Sister. Mustn't break the chains. Daddy paid a lot of money for those! Sit tight, I'm sure Casanova will be here soon," Shiho could smell her burnt skin from where the shackles came in to contact with her wrists and neck. Slamming her palm against the wall, the fox fought to stand again and give another try at the chains, using her strong jaws and pulling with what little strength she had._

_Again, Magdalena shocked her with more amusement than ever, watching her host scream and writhe in the pain was almost arousing. Over and over they played this game of pull and shock until Shiho hadn't the ability to even lift her head and laid on the floor of her room on her side. Heavily panting and twitching occasionally from the shocks, the fox prayed either for Leo to bust in the door any second or for death to just make its graceful appearance._

"_Hehehehe, don't die just yet, silly. Leonardo isn't here! I want to play with him a little bit," That girl was more sadistic in her sanity than Shiho was in her Madness, because she chose to be that way. Tightly, Shiho clenched her teeth together and willed for Leo to find her. He had to, he was her only chance of getting out of her. But he was here, he was downstairs trying to get to her, which meant he still loved her, he had to. Or he wouldn't be risking his shell for a girl like her. _

"_Hurry, Leo.."_

* * *

The turtles were steadily making headway through the Foot ninja, making them drop like flies under their skill. They'd had more than enough time to master their arts from when they were just teenagers and battling the Shredder and his Foot Clan. At a polished age of 24 years old, they had more than enough moxy to handle the ninja clan now. With the aid of Master Splinter, the boys were unstoppable using each other as weapons and allies to make their way up the elevator shaft to get to their fox.

"Donnie, gimme some whip action!" Called Mikey with a smug smile, running straight towards his brother's bow staff. Donnie caught on as Mikey grabbed a hold of the staff and was swung around while swinging his nun chuck in his right head. He popped off 4 ninja in one swipe and landed on his feet with his hands held above his head. "And the crowd goes wild!"

Leo and Raphael stood shell to shell fending off another pair of ninja with staffs of their own. They clashed weapons and grunted as the ninja tried to push the turtles down into a defeat. But, Leo wasn't having any of that nonsense today, not from anyone. "On three, Raph…"

"You got it, bro!" Pushing his own opponent back at the same time as Leo, Raph grinned his signature smile when he was about to get his way and win.

"THREE!" Leo shouted as both ninjas came sprinting at the turtle brothers. At the same time, they ducked and the Foot goons ran right into each and smacked skulls. They fell over in a pile on top of each other with painful groans.

"Ooooh, that's gonna leave a mark," Mikey teased, sticking his tongue out. Leo punched the elevator command button for the doors to open. If they were going up ten flights of stairs, they'd have to take the lazy approach to save as much of their strength as they could. When the silver doors slid open, Leo nearly jumped out of his shell.

"WOAH! Who the heck are you?!" Backing up, the leader bumped into his brothers with a slight stumble in his step as Marcus stepped out of the elevator. Splinter growled with a sneer as he sniffed the air.

"You are him, aren't you?"

"Ahh, you must be Master Splinter. And this fellow here…Leonardo. I've heard quite a bit about you from my girl. Seems you're the one she's so crazy about, the one that made my sweet Shiho impure," Leo knew in an instant who he was and tightened his fists around his katana, his teeth clenched together in a sneer. Marcus knew how to get under Leo's shell already, talking about Shiho; calling her impure from her claimed virginity.

"Where's Shiho?" His voice growled, more menacingly than his brothers had ever heard. It surprised them, even more so when he pointed one very sharp katana between Marcus' eyes. "Bring me, Shiho." The scientist chuckled with ease and waved the sword out of his face with the back of his hand, not a shred of fear present in him.

"She's waiting, won't you join me in visiting her?"

* * *

"Leave me alone, Maggie, I don't want to see your wretched face!" Shiho snarled and lashed out with a shackled hand, the chains jingling as she moved. Magdalena twirled the electric rod she was holding in her fingers and paced back and forth in front of the ever angered vixen.

"Funny, my face is so wretched yet I'm you exact copy. You're so mean to me, Shiho. Your baby sister. Sheesh, I'm gonna have to tell Daddy that you're being so rude, he won't like that," Stepping forward, the blonde pointed the sparking rod at Shiho and narrowed her piercing blue eyes. If she wasn't such a bitch, she might actually be pretty. She was Shiho's clone after all. "In fact, I think I'll punish you right now and save Daddy the trouble!"

As if she was swatting an insect, the blonde clone smacked her host in the chest with electric rod, sending wave after wave of electricity into her already battered body. Shiho's eyes crossed and her vision blurred, she could hear the disturbing giggling of her younger clone, almost tauntingly in her ear.

"Come on, scream already. Scream so those ugly reptiles can hear you and come bursting through that door to save you," With her foot on Shiho's shoulder, Magdalena pushed her roughly into the wall behind her. The vixen's head smashed against the barrier making everything in sight spin. She wasn't ready for the second spark of electricity bestowed upon her and without any control screamed from the pit of her stomach. A blood-curdling scream that even made the blone flinch.

Like the clone anticipated, the bellowing echoed and traveled into the elevator shaft where Marcus had pulled the turtles in at gun point. He wasn't taking any chances and was making sure he had all the cards in his hand. Leo flinched when he picked up on the sound and panicked, he'd never heard Shiho scream like that before and his heart nearly stopped. Dropping his swords to the floor of the elevator, Leo grabbed the scientist by the collar of his dress shirt and suit and pinned him against the wall with his feet dangling off the ground. Raphael found it amusing watching the human squirm and smashed the heel of his sai into Marcus' hand that held the gun and caught it when it fell.

"What is happening to her, Marcus? Answer me or you'll be sorry!" That spine-tingling growl returned to Leo's voice. At first, Marcus was afraid, he hadn't anticipated the turtle would jump so suddenly but slowly started to laugh.

"Uhh..okay? Is this guy like…all there in the head?"

"Obviously not, Mikey." Donnie whispered back. Leo's gripped tightened.

"By the sounds of it, she's getting reacquainted with her pretty little clone. What are you gonna do, Leonardo? You can't kill me, you'll never find her without me," Leo seethed with fury, his glare alone could curdle dairy. With frustrated roar, he dropped Marcus until he fell to his backside with a thump. "Thought so,"

In the holding cell, Shiho had long since collapsed again under the surges of sparks and the lack of strength in her legs. Her clone simply cackled and tapped her shoulder with her thunder stick and kicked her host in the belly over and over until she gagged and spit out hot, acidic blood that ate a hole through the floor.

Behind them, in the observatory, a light clicked on and the speakers cracked with Marcus' voice. With a raised brow and a twisted little smile on her glossy, cherry lips, the clone jammed her foot one last time into Shiho with a snicker.

"Alright, Maggie that's enough. Back off for a moment, we have a little reunion to watch," The blonde glanced up to the tinted glass and did as she was told and backed away to the opposite wall. The only door in the room unlocked and Leo was the first of the turtles to burst inside and frantically scan the room.

"Leo! Over there!" Donnie called, his finger pointing to the far wall where Shiho lay in a sprawl on her side. In a sprint, Leo slid on his knees and dropped his swords with a clatter on the floor beside her and turned the fox over to see her face. He thought he was going to be sick. Her skin as paler with dark blue veins crawling up her neck, her arms beaten and battered, and from the corners of her mouth trickled that acidic red liquid. Gathering the practically broken fox in his arms and lap, Leo called out to her.

"Shiho? Shiho! Wake up, come on, wake up! It's us…me, Leonardo," When she didn't respond, he signaled for Donatello to join him. With all the courage he could muster, he slid the unconscious fox over into his brother's arms and stood with his katanas firmly placed in his hands. "Donnie, try to get her up so we can make a run for it."

"Got it,"

Magdalena chuckled again and approached Mikey and Raph, making them cringe as she came closer. The similarities between her and Shiho were almost sickening, she looked just like her. But they knew they were two totally different creatures. One was an absolute nutcase and the other was also a nutcase but not by any choice of her own.

"My, my; Shiho certainly has interesting taste in friends," True to her vixen nature, the blonde wiggled a finger under Michelangelo's chin and made him giggle. "I'll have to get me one of these,"

"You know, for a crazy little sleaze ball, she's kinda cute!"

"Really, Mikey?" Raph slapped his brother on the cheek to snap him out of it. Magdalena seemed to have the same seducing allure as her host, but lacked the personality. Above them, the speakers crackled to life and Marcus began to speak.

"Maggie, why don't you fill out guests in on your big sister's special abilities? Go on, don't forget to tell them about the nice, hefty check we were going to get from their old pal, The Shredder, for her taking them out." Collectively, the brother's gasped and Splinter dropped his staff in disbelief. Magdalena only chuckled like he'd told a casual joke as Donnie looked at the fox in his arms. Leo's rage was building as he stood protectively in front of Shiho and Donnie.

"What are you talking about, Silver? Don't you dare lie,"

"Now, now Leo, there's no need to snap at Daddy. Why, don't you know? Your little girlfriend over there was a weapon built to take out your little family after you gave the Shredder so much grief. He hired Daddy to make Shiho stronger, a more powerful force that couldn't be defeated But you guys ruined Daddy's chance at a lifetime of wealth and power by sticking your nose where it didn't belong and destroying the Shredder before she was ready!" Those eyes, bright blue and terrifying, started to glow as the clone began to corner the mutants.

"You…you mean…her DNA-" Donnie started.

"Was tampered with using that ooze that Shredder obtained from the TCRI building. It's simple really, using that creepy stuff he created the madness and her bone crushing strength. You didn't really think she just had this lust for snapping spines did you? No, no silly turtles. Those teeth were meant to crack shells," The way the clone said the last few words made every one of them tremble, Donnie even backed away from Shiho and left her on the ground.

Leo looked back at Shiho for a moment. He didn't understand completely.

"Then…that's why you were trying to destroy her so she didn't turn on you! And when she said she was protecting us, she was keeping our existence a secret so you wouldn't come after us," Leo was starting to put the pieces together. She was telling the truth that night.

"Yep! Really, Leonardo, if you had learned from the beginning that she was a weapon made to kill you all, would you have really let her live?" Magdalena let that sink in. Leo's arms started to drop and the tips of his katanas scraped against the floor. He wasn't sure what he'd do to her if she had been absolutely honest about herself. "The only reason she didn't kill you that night is because she'd only been told that she was being amped up for a job that Daddy needed handled. Daddy never got to finish working on her and tell her that what she was meant to destroy. She didn't know any better," But, she had told them that she had no idea who the Shredder was. She must have lied with that too, Leo couldn't blame her now. She was saving her own skin too.

"So! Now that we have you all gathered here, we can let the show begin. And Daddy can exact his vengeance on you for ruining everything," The clone giggled when Shiho started to wake up, she knew what was about to happen. In the observatory above, Marcus pressed the button to release Shiho's shackles as she started to stand. A growl that could only be described as primal rumbled in her chest. "Farewell, Leonardo. Precious little turtles, I hope you enjoy your time with your monster,"

The blonde fox ran out through the door and quickly locked it before any of them had a chance to stop her. The Madness within Shiho was about to awaken and they were trapped like rats…well, at least Splinter was. Quickly, Donnie moved away from the changing hybrid and ducked behind his brothers, bow staff ready in his hands. They all began to back away from her at the same time as her head started to rise.

"Oh no," Leo choked, her eyes had become bright in their chemical reactions and like she had told them, her irises had become thin like a snake. The sounds coming out of her were horrifying enough to make their blood turn to ice in their veins, her growls and rumbles almost cat-like despite her fox genes. Like…like a jaguar. "Guys…I don't think this is Shiho anymore. We gotta snap her out of it,"

Slowly, Shiho- no, that wasn't Shiho, that was a monster- stalked the turtles and Splinter with a look so crazy in her eyes they weren't sure if they'd ever get her back. Saliva pooled and dripped from her now engorged canines as she cracked her knuckles. She might be lost in the Madness, but she was still coherent.

"What's the matter, Leonardo, afraid of a little fox?" But it wasn't his girl's voice. It was sinister and dark in its tone. He wasn't going to fight her; he didn't stand a chance if she knocked him down. Those jaws of hers snapped at them, making them gasp and jump.

"Oooh Daddy! Look at her! She's going to eat them and they aren't even going to try!" Magdalena had her hands clasped together as she bounced up and down behind the tinted windows, watching everything from above. She watched Shiho stalk and whip her tail wildly back and forth, even her ears became angular and flat against her head. Marcus couldn't wait to watch those turtles suffer.

"Oh shit!" Leo shouted, Shiho launched herself at him first and he held his weapons up in defense. One hand and the other, she swiped her long claws at her lover in an attempt to open his throat. Leo grunted under her weight as she pressed down on him with her feet on his chest and her canines crunching the air.

"Leo, No!" Raph shouted and threw a sai right for Shiho's head. She ducked and jumped from Leo's chest and landed on the balls of her feet. All of the brothers dispersed and surrounded the wild fox with their weapons ready, Splinter had to stand idly by and watch and hope for the best. In his old age, he was no match for the maddened fox. The challenge brought a wicked smile to those dark lips that Leo adored, her teeth crossing together in her grin with a chuckle.

"Come on, boys. Let's dance," Raphael was the first to charge, a roar bursting from his chest as he swung and kicked, she dodged every one before ducking between his legs and grasping the crest of his shell by his shoulders. Her long, slithering tongue slurped up his neck as she cackled. "Mmm, Raphie, you never told me you tasted so good. I might have chosen you instead had I known you were so delicious..."

"Raph! Watch out!" Donnie cried as Shiho started to lunge at his the back of his neck with bared teeth, aiming for his spine when Mikey body slammed her to the floor and rolled until he landed on top of her. Raphael shivered in disgust; he came close to losing his shell that time. Leo struggled to find the strength to join his brothers but couldn't bring his weapons to rise. Mikey went in to smack in her in the head with one of his chucks but she caught the chain between her teeth. He hesitated.

"Aw man," With a snarl, the vixen snapped the links and flipped the turtle over her head to smash his shell against the wall. Mikey slid down with a groan and a hand over his head and holding his busted weapon in the other. Donnie ran straight at her twirling his bow staff above his head as he jumped and brought the staff down towards her head. She caught it between her hands and lunged forward with a snap in her jaws.

"Bwah! Guys! If we manage to hit her hard enough in the head, we might just…ugh!" Shiho was throwing punches high and low to knock him down but he deflected her blows with the ends of his staff. "We might just be able to knock her out and reset her brain! AGH!"

With the broad plane of her shoulder, Shiho rammed into Donatello until his shell hit the wall. Holding his bow staff to her throat, the crazed fox swiped wildly with her claws and cut a deep slice into the brim of his shell behind his head when he ducked. The fox froze when she heard Leo running at her with his swords at his sides and yelling. With his feet tucked up, Leo jumped and kicked her in the shoulder and sent her flying off of Donnie and rolling on the floor. A maniacal growl, borderline scream, launched out of her throat as she attemtped to stand. Those bright eyes bore holes into Leo's shell as she glared.

"Daddy! They're winning do something!" Frantically, the blonde fox pressed her hands and nose against the glass as she watched Leo cross his swords and shove them with all of his might into the floor, piercing it, and pinning her down by the throat. If she moved, her neck would be cut open.

"Shiho! Listen to me, you have to come back!" The maddened fox thrashed as he pinned her down by the wrists and pressed his knees firmly into her thighs. She made the attempt to lunge up and snap at him, but the sharp edge of the blade startled her backwards until she hit her head with a loud smack. "Shiho? Shiho! It's me, it's Leo. Don't you remember me?"

All of his brothers groaned as they collected their dignity after getting their butts kicked by a girl, picking up their weapons in the process and gathering around Leo. Marcus watched, anticipating his creation to spring from the floor and finally finish them off. But when she didn't move, he growled in frustration. Surrounding Leo and the fox, the brothers exchanged worried glances as they watched her fight with her sanity and her darkness, arching her spine and howling and hissing.

"Shiho, come on. You know me, you know Donnie, and Raph, and Mikey, and Splinter. Please, you can fight this!" The glow in her violet eyes intensified which made them all tighten up. But Leo held up his hand when he noticed her pupils slowly but surely regaining their round shape and slide shut behind her lids and her canines inching their way back to normal. "She's coming back, back up guys,"

Leo removed his swords out of the floor and let go of his hold on the fox. She was coming back slower than he had anticipated and couldn't think of anything else left to do except for one thing. Into his arms, he shifted her and moved her legs onto his crouched thighs so he could hold her. In the light, he caught the glinting of his shard necklace and turned her face towards him by her cheek in his palm. Almost inaudibly, Shiho groaned as the hideous ache in her muscles returned and her head throbbed from being cracked against the floor. Leo stared at her, looking for any sign that she was still Shiho.

"Oh no, he's about to go all like…romantic comedy on us guys,"

"Shut up Mikey!" Both Raph and Donnie smacked their brother in the head.

"Ow!" The noise died down and Leo listened for her breathing. It was faint, but it was there. Tossing aside the notion that she might slip away again into the Madness, Leo brought those glossy lips up to his and sealed their mouths together. To his surprise, he felt the returning pressure of Shiho kissing him back and her hand lifting to the back of his neck. The motion made all of the brothers jump, thinking she was still Mad. They relaxed the second they heard Leo slurp against her lips with a deepened passion.

"Eww…hey guys, yoo-hoo! Earth to Leo sucking Dudette's face?" Leo's brow twitched in agitation and looked up to his idiot baby brother with a very stern 'You called?' face. "Uhh, I hate to like, interrupt your reunion and everything. But we still got a mad scientist and a blonde babe trying to kill us? So if you aren't to busy making out-"

"Alright, Mikey! I got the picture," Leo stood with Shiho draped in his arms, her eyes opening and the glow was all but gone. Instantly, he squeezed her tight against his shell. Tucking his face against her cheek and shoulder, Leo shuddered in a barely contained sob. "I thought you were gone,"

"I thought you didn't love me," There was a teasing tone in her voice and he knew for sure that she was back. He could see it in that smug little grin of hers. "Leo, you came for me. You all did. But…why?"

Splinter stepped forward and tapped his staff on the ground so he could speak. Hesitantly, Leo set her back on her feet, only to have her fall right up against him in her weakened state. It seemed that in the Madness, she had more adrenaline than her little body could handle. With his arm firmly wrapped around her waist, he held her up.

"We came because you are family, it is what we do for each other,"

"But…but I lied," Her voice was small, she was ashamed.

"We can see why, but you know, you could have told us. We probably would have hunted this guy down sooner," Raph added. He would have loved to get his hands on Marcus, he was waiting for his window of opportunity. Leo looked down at Shiho and she up at him, she was spellbound by the glint in those warm eyes of his and leaned her cheek against his chest plate. "Now, if you don't mind, I think we got a score to settle with a certain clone and scientist upstairs,"

"Don't worry, this one is on me," Donnie chided with a chipper tone. Out of the pack he kept on his belt, he withdrew a few small explosives and tossed them up at the tinted window. They detonated and glass rained down on the turtles who ducked and covered their heads. "Whoops,"

"Thanks a lot, Einstein," Raph snorted and was the first to jump. With the power in their legs, they all jumped from wall to wall until they were up in the observatory. Leo jumped last with the limp fox in his arms and couldn't believe his eyes when he got up inside.

"What the…where'd they go?! Creepy! I didn't even get that girl's phone number-OW!" Another punch to the skull.

"Knucklehead."

"I don't understand, why would he just leave?" Donnie asked as he searched the narrow room in case that clone was hiding. From Leo's arms, Shiho was the one to answer the question.

"Because he knew that if he stayed I'd come after him. There was a reason he was trying to get rid of me, because he's afraid of me when I'm not chained up. He'll show his ugly face again, though. Make no mistake about that, his little cronie too. Ow…" Shiho rubbed her neck with her palm and hissed in pain quietly.

"Let's get home, Donnie will fix you right…are those burns on your neck?" Tilting her delicate chin up with his thick finger, the family gathered around Shiho and examined her neck and arms.

"Yeah. To keep me under control, he puts a specially designed set of shackles on my throat and wrists. When I get out of hand, he shocks me into submission. Maggie was pushing my buttons and playing with it like a toy before you showed up," Donnie took a look at the track marks in her arms. He could only imagine what had been shoved into her now pathetic veins, they looked awful. Swollen and dark blue, the veins stood out on her arms like tattoos.

"Come on guys, we got a long drive ahead of us. If we want to get back to the city by morning, we need to leave now," Leo ordered. His grip on Shiho tightened as they all managed to get back downstairs and find April and Casey waiting with the van, the sliding door ready and opened for them to jump in on the run. Needless to say, Casey had taken care of all the Foot that was giving them trouble.

In the van, Leo's brothers and Splinters were all out cold; exhausted from their fights. But he stayed up, Shiho tucked between his legs and clutching his shell. He wasn't able to say anything to her, the words just weren't coming into his head in the right order. When they got home, he'd talk to her. He'd fix what he'd done to her and make sure she never was unsure again. For now, she rested; she slept like the dead against his chest but did so with a smile of serenity.

"Good to have you back,"

* * *

**A/N: Oh jeez, where'd they go?! Hehehe, yesss, hang in there for later chapters folks! I'm gonna try to make this as exciting as possible. Gonna play into that guilt Leo seems to be so famous for, Shiho gonna get her some. UNFF! I'm so jealous ; ~ ; I wanna be Leo's girlfriend! hAHA, I'm so glad this story is keeping people interested. It's a lot of fun to write, thanks folks!**


	10. Good Girl

**A/N: Okay, so I was going for a more angsty approach with this chapter. Obviously, when she was being held captive, Shiho had the shit kicked out of her by her awesome little clone and sustained a few knicks and bumps. Well, you'll see. But, I'm trying to touch on that tension that's building because she can't put out for Leo. We'll see how that goes ._.**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

"_Come on guys, we got a long drive ahead of us. If we want to get back to the city by morning, we need to leave now," Leo ordered. His grip on Shiho tightened as they all managed to get back downstairs and find April and Casey waiting with the van, the sliding door ready and opened for them to jump in on the run. Needless to say, Casey had taken care of all the Foot that was giving them trouble._

_In the van, Leo's brothers and Splinters were all out cold; exhausted from their fights. But he stayed up, Shiho tucked between his legs and clutching his shell. He wasn't able to say anything to her, the words just weren't coming into his head in the right order. When they got home, he'd talk to her. He'd fix what he'd done to her and make sure she never was unsure again. For now, she rested; she slept like the dead against his chest but did so with a smile of serenity._

"_Good to have you back,"_

* * *

To say that the turtles felt somewhat embarrassed that they'd had the snot beat out of them by a girl was an understatement. None of the brothers took it harder than Raphael, naturally. In his head, he was the strongest, the muscle! And yet, he'd nearly been the first turtle to have his spine ripped out and snacked on by Leo's little pet fox. He'd long gotten over the jealousy he held towards her from before, now, it was replaced with a mixture of anger and fear. He'd never admit to being afraid of her, of course. But something about the way her tongue had rolled up his skin before her teeth almost sunk into his neck gave him nightmare after nightmare.

Who was there to talk to about this? No one, because none of his brothers would understand the damage done to his ego in particular. Splinter? Nah, he'd just tell him to find some balance and tranquility in his heart to look past Shiho's demented appetite for turtle shell. That's what Magdalena had said about the Madness…that her taste for crunching bones wasn't really even designed for that at all. It was for crushing turtle shells. The only one of the ninja sons to walk away with any scathes was Donatello with three deep scars sliced into the back of his shell where Shiho had grabbed him.

"Damn…" Raph shuddered, and turned over on his side as he tried to catch some sleep.

They'd been home for two days now. The first thing they did was patch up the fox and put her to bed, she'd been asleep almost the entire time occasionally getting up to eat. With three cracked ribs and a fractured pelvis, Donnie scored enough drugs to knock out an elephant for a week. And of course, Leonardo hardly left her side, he was probably sleeping with her now. It was a little past 3am after all, everyone was asleep. But not Raphael. He couldn't take it anymore and threw himself out of bed and wandered aimlessly around the lair with his mind buzzing.

"Raphael, what are you doing awake so early, my son?" It was Splinter, he was standing in the doorway to his meditation room. Must have heard his son grumbling as he went about.

"Eh nothin', Sensei. Couldn't sleep," He said, rubbing the back of his neck like it was a normal thing.

"You may be able to fool your brothers, or even yourself. But you cannot fool me, Raphael. Whatever this inner turmoil you are suffering with is, you must face it. Ignoring the fear will only make it fester,"

"I'm not afraid of anything. I just couldn't sleep," Raph snapped back. Folding his paws behind his back, the rodent master shortly nodded and slowly re-entered his space. Splinter knew better than to force open the doors to his son's mind, doing so would only tighten the lock and build a wall. Raphael shook his head in denial and just kept walking. He didn't care where his feet were taking him anymore.

That is until his feet took him to Leo's room. The hell was he doing there?

"Alright…" The flustered turtle made the door open and took only a step inside. The dim light from the outside cast a narrow ray into the dark room and sprawled across the bed. He couldn't see Shiho, she was hidden behind Leo who was laying on his side. But she must have heard him, those ears of hers weren't just for show, and sat up slowly.

"Raph..?" She said, rubbing the sleep out of her drug-drowsy eyes. She looked a lot better now that she'd had the rest and nourishment she was denied in Marcus' possession.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for botherin' ya. I'll come back in the morning," He stopped when he heard her yawn.

"No, no I'm up. Hold on let me get something on," Something on? What did she sleep in the nude? His speculations were given gratification when the fox stood up and the glow from outside framed her bare form in dark shadows. Instantly, he blushed and cleared his throat while she threw on some cotton grey shorts and zipped up a loose hoodie.

"You can go back to bed, I didn't mean to wake you up,"

"Raph, it's fine. I'm up already. What is it?" She glanced down to make sure Leo was asleep before meeting Raph at the door and closing it. "Something wrong?"

Raph didn't answer right away and just knocked his head to the side for her to walk with him. He sheepishly looked at her neck, bandaged with gauze to keep her burns clean before shifting his attention to his stepping feet. "Raph?"

"Have you ever…had a nightmare so bad that you can't shake it even after waking up?" He said, still not looking at her. But she sensed where this was going and scratched behind one of her ears.

"All the time. I'll wake up screaming and scare Leo half to death. I know he's there, but I can't make myself go back to sleep," He chuckled, he imagined his brother being shocked out of bed and landing on the floor. "Why?"

More silence. Shiho hated when he did this, there was always something under the surface with Raphael and the hardest part was peeling back the iron exterior.

"Raphael,"

"I keep seeing it," He came to the stairs and sat on the top step. Shiho crossed her arms as a chill surrounded her before joining him at his side and sitting. She waited until he finished. One thing about Raph, you didn't want to push him to talk too much or he'd let you have it.

"I keep seeing you in that crazy state of mind of yours. How I almost bit the dust because I wasn't careful. And…" He stopped and nervously rubbed his arm. Shiho understood, he was afraid of her. Well, not HER but the darkness inside. "I keep closing my eyes and it starts all over."

"I see. It's not surprising. Not many people see the Madness and live to tell about it, so I guess I can see why it's so upsetting and disturbing," He gave her a look that screamed 'You can say that again.'

"I'm sorry that you were on the bad end of the stick, so to speak."

"Donnie was," Shiho gulped. Yeah, he was. She'd never forgive herself for scarring his shell.

"Right. But, I mean, you just need to know; I don't get that way because I want to. If you're worried about me actually wanting to hurt you then you're wrong. You guys are everything to me," A sideways glance at the fox brought him in the same gaze she held towards him. Only she held him there.

"You're all my heroes and best friends. The only family I will ever have. And you, Raph, haha well you're my shiniest knight in shining armor when it comes down to it," No one had ever called him that before.

"When those nightmares come, try to tell yourself it isn't real. That that isn't me," Raph kind of smiled, almost too small for anyone to notice but she did as he looked away. This must have been hard for him to come and actually say it, Raphael never admitted when something was bothering him. At least, he never admitted it at a level that wasn't yelling at someone.

"You promise that no part of you is ever awake in the Madness?"

"Yeah. The only part of me that's there is the part of my mind that's fighting it to come back. Never telling it what to do and who to hurt." A short chuckle and the ninja nodded.

"Alright. How you doin' after Donnie's patch job?" She puffed a long breath through her blown out cheeks and widened her eyes a bit. He changed the subject quickly, he was satisfied, but growing uncomfortable with the focus being on him for so long.

"It sucks. I've got these awesome burns on my neck and wrists that itch something terrible but Donnie won't let me take the bandages off unless he's cleaning and redressing them. My ribs are cracked and Mikey keeps telling jokes. And my pelvis is cracked so that rules out…squats," Shiho cleared her throat and fiddled with her tail between her fingers.

"Hah! Squats, I know what you're actually not suppose to be doin'." Raph cackled as she elbowed him in the thigh. Hard. That didn't stop him from laughing at her though; the blush on her pretty face was rich. "What, you think I don't know?"

"I don't see how you would, since we always make sure everyone is gone,"

"Ahh I didn't know. But now I do, thanks for tellin' me," A gasping fox was enough to make the ninja almost fall down the stairs laughing like his idiot brother.

"That isn't funny, Raphael! That's private and you…you! Ohhh just you wait until I'm healed up and I am so gonna make you pay for that. Ow!" He flicked her on the head.

"I would love to see you try, little girl. How are things with you and Leo now, anyway? I mean, yeah he saved you and all was good after that. But did you ever work out what happened at the cabin?"

Shiho shrugged her shoulders just a tad and leaned back to stand on the steps. She brushed off her backside and scratched the back of her head before she answered.

"Not really. I've been drugged like a race horse with a bad leg and he doesn't want to talk about it. And now with me being out on sick leave, he's angsty."

Raphael could see why. Leo was their leader, he was the oldest. He never jumped to conclusions without figuring out all the possible answers that he could. What happened that night in the woods was downright humiliating for his character and reputation amongst his brothers. Talking about it would only rub salt on the gaping wound he'd given himself.

"Give him time. I'm sure it'll be evened out soon." Shiho helped the exhausted turtle to his feet and nodded as she did so.

"I know, c'mere," She said before wrapping her slender arms around his neck. Raph had to remember her injured sides and held her like some museum piece that could shatter. You break it you buy it, they always say. "Go to bed,"

"Shiho?" A sleepy voice brought them apart. Leo yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with the heel of his palm. Shiho chuckled and went on to grab his hand that he had outstretched and left Raph standing at the top of the stairs.

"Night Raph," She whispered back, with a small wave of her tiny hand as she was led away at Leo's guide. If you could call him a guide, he stumbled and bumped into the wall in his half-asleep state. "Leo, this way,"

"What was that all…" His question was interrupted by a yawn. "All about anyway?"

"Nothin', he just had a bad dream is all," After shutting the door and sitting up in bed, Leo held up his arm for his vixen to crawl in beside him.

"Raph can be such a baby sometimes. You okay? Do you need anything for pain?" His attention to her needs was enough to make any girl, human or not, flutter on a cloud of bubbly feelings. Blowing out the bright candle, the bandaged little minx settled right against Leo where he wanted her to after sliding out of the clothes she'd sloppy put on, his arms wrapping around her like a shield. The bandages rubbed on the fabric and pulled at her stitches and bandages, being naked was her only option for any comfort.

"No I'm fine. I'm afraid if I have anymore I'll fall into a coma," Leo laughed quietly, the glow from her eyes was enough to illuminate her face for him to see. She was such a little glow worm in the dark.

"I don't even know how Donnie gets his hands on half the things he does. But I guess that's why he's the genius," Out of habit, Shiho grasped onto Leo's bicep. It became abundantly clear to him weeks ago that she did, in fact, have quite the thing for his muscles. Who could blame her? His arms were deliciously toned and not over-ripped. Her fingers twitched to trace the muscles and veins that ridged out under his smooth skin.

"God how do you guys get so…so…"

"Fit?" She snorted. She didn't want to sound like a little airhead.

"Yeah," Leo's three fingers found the strands of her hair and coursed on through, passing along her cheek.

"It's a ninja thing, Babe," Ugh, he called her 'babe'. He was hanging out with Casey way too much. She'd have to have a chat with that mask wearing vigilante. "Now shut-up about my muscles and kiss me already. I haven't had a single one since before I brought you home,"

"Woops…" Ducking down, like she had a shell of her own to hide into, Shiho laughed nervously.

"Yeah, woops. Pucker up, dammit," In the violet glow of her eyes, Leo navigated his face down with the assistance of her hand grasping the back of his neck. A low giggle vibrated in the back of her throat when he kissed her. The glow disappeared when those eyelids fluttered closed, her little frame being gingerly pulled across his chest and her lip being bitten. Leo demanded entrance into her mouth, a demand she was all too eager to meet.

Leo osculated sweet lips hard and slow in multiple kisses, deeply tongued and mildly rough in pressure. He growled against her open mouth as their lips molded tightly together, sucking down her sweet tasting saliva. Shiho's ears flattened when his fingers tangled in her hair to gently tug at the roots. Brows knit together as she forced herself to pull back with a tormented expression. Leo didn't let her have much of a chance to say anything before crushing their mouths together again, he'd never felt so needy to just kiss her.

"Leo," She spoke between kisses. "Mmn..Leo!"

"Wh-what?!" He stammered, his left hand tightly holding onto her waist while his right was still buried into her hair. Both of her hands sprawled against his heaving chest as she managed to get a breath.

"Stop it, you know my pelvis is cracked," She was absolutely breathless, looking hot and bothered just the way he liked it. That was obvious in the bright glow she was giving off. With a drawn out groan, Leo dropped his head back.

"Craaap. How long until it heals again?" An expression that could be the textbook definition of annoyed covered her features.

"Donnie gave me a doctor's note of at least 2 more weeks. It isn't bad, just painful," Leo pouted, he pouted hard. Here she was, completely naked and in bed and there wasn't a damn thing he could do without her hurting in some way. Pressing his hand gently into her cheek, his thumb digit grazed the apple and brought out that sweet smile that he was the only one to ever see.

"Just what am I going to do, then?" Another kiss, soft and brief.

"Do…ninja stuff? I don't know. Maybe I should stay with April and Casey until I'm all healed up," The arm that he had around her tightened some, the thought of sleeping alone for two whole weeks wasn't one he enjoyed. She'd been staying at the lair rather permanently for the last few months, she just belonged there.

"What? Why?"

"I'll still see you, Leo. It's just so I'm not tempted to tease you. Because let's face it, even though they were failed attempts, every time we tried, you destroyed me," Leo gulped nervously. He couldn't help himself and had the bad tendency to get carried away in the heat of the moment.

"Also, Donnie is making me crazy. He won't let me do anything without telling me I'm injured," The way she fell back against her pillow and sighed Leo could tell just how exasperated she really was. Scooting down and resting on his side, Leo propped himself up on his right elbow and looked at her with a drawn out sigh.

"Fine," He hated this, not being able to have his way with her. She was always willing to satisfy every little need that came to rise in Leo, but now, she was out of commission until her injures went away. Leo couldn't help how rough he'd gotten, he hardly knew his own strength with someone as fragile on the outside as Shiho. But this...this...he didn't know what to call it, it was building and building inside him, layer after layer. The mind-numbing lust to be between those sun-kissed thighs was enough to make the normally composed and level-headed leader an absolute wreck.

"Well don't be mad, Leo. Give me a break, you aren't the only one this kills," Now he was being stubborn over something that wasn't her fault. She didn't want to be in pain, she'd jump his bones right now if grinding him alone didn't send gut-wrenching pains up her spine. When he didn't say anything else, Shiho turned on her side with her back against him with an exaggerated huff. She was mad.

"You promise you'll be okay when you're up there?" With his finger, Leo pulled the hair off her neck and nestled his chin against the nape, his cheek rubbing against hers. Really? He was marking her with his scent, like territory. Sometimes the very basic primal instincts that still resided with the animal within him made her nuts. But, to humor him, she chose to ignore the intention and focused on the nuzzling. Leo knew damn well that she didn't possess the capacity to stay the slightest bit annoyed with him for more than a few minutes and buttered her up.

"Yeah. And when I get back, I'll be all yours," Just the way she said it made his angst fill to the brim and trickle down in rivers of want and need. His arm came around her and scooted her as close to him as he possibly could, holding her a little tighter than he should. "Ow.."

"Sorry…don't-..ah..don't talk like that, Shiho," Shushing her turtle with a goodnight kiss, the fox didn't bother going on anymore. She was tired, she was sore, and borderline cranky from the bitchin' drugs she was given a few hours earlier. Leo had to suffer in silence and fight the arousal that threatened to rear up. It was going to be a long rest of the night.

* * *

So far, so good. Shiho had been at April and Casey's for a solid week without seeing Leonardo even though she told him she would. But the fox couldn't risk seeing the turtle and being driven over the edge by her vixen desires. No, no. Plus April had her busy in the shop, keeping Casey away from the bone china and anything that had the potential to break. She was actually enjoying her time alone with the couple, it had been some months since she had been back at the apartment for a period longer than a few hours. Even her healing was going on without a hitch and she felt no need for the painkillers by the end of her first week.

One thing about Shiho that made Donatello giddy with excitement, was her ability to overcome injuries three times faster than humans. Her cracked ribs and pelvis would have taken six weeks in someone like April, but Shiho? She just seemed to regenerate her cells at a faster rate, enough to get the genius turtle buried in slides of her cells and always checking her wounds.

Shiho felt awkward at night, always at night when April and Casey went to bed and Shiho was left awkwardly in the guest bedroom by herself. They'd gotten married a little over 6 months ago and everything was the same, except now, they were always together. Being aware of their intimacy didn't bother Shiho, it was the whole being together until death did part them. She'd lay awake sometimes wondering what it was like to have something like that. To have someone else's last name and have arguments over bills.

One thing about being the girlfriend to a mutant, the relationship was anything but normal. It felt normal to them, because it was all they knew. But when she was in the apartment, she couldn't help but feel like she was missing something. Though, when the image of Leo's captivating smile or the memory of his arms coming around her when they were alone never failed to extinguish those negative thoughts of 'what if.' She had a special bond with Leo, why ruin it with ideas like that?

"Shiho, Donnie called and asked how your burns were. I told him they were gone," April said, arranging a display in the window of some antique dresses she'd just received. Shiho was dusting the collector plates in the cabinet when she hesitated.

"And?" April pretended to not hear her foxy friend and went along with the tune she was humming and sorted out the skirt on the posing mannequin.

"April!"

"He should be here any minute," She said, almost too fast for Shiho to comprehend. But judging by the glare she was receiving, April guessed that Shiho understood. "I'm sorry! He wouldn't let me say no,"

"How about this, uhh NO. Uuugh, now I'm going to have to sit in the stool and listen to him chant the words 'interesting' and 'fascinating' over…and over…and over," Placing one hand on her hip, her other raised to pinch the bridge of her nose between her fingers.

"Glad to know you're always so happy to see me," Shiho's tail went stiff and she screamed.

"DONNIE!" At the backdoor, the genius was leaning against the door frame looking so very smug and laughing with Leo behind him. "Yeah, yeah laugh it up chuckles. Come on let's get this over with,"

Donnie went right upstairs with April on his tail after she'd posted the 'CLOSED' sign on the door. Leo went towards the stairs and waited at the bottom for his fox to come. She stood awkwardly still, the tip of her tail twitching back and forth. He looked annoyed that she hadn't come down to the lair like she promised. The ninja had been blowing up her cell phone with voicemails voicing his concern and growing agitation. With his arms crossed firmly across his chest, Shiho had to look away. His muscled flexed when he would do that and it always made her crazy. But, they hadn't seen each other in a week and she was in absolute agony.

"Come. Here," He said, ordering her to come to him like an animal. Leo knew she'd obey, she always did. Something about when he executed being a leader really rustled her jimmies and she ran right to him when he opened his arms. His shell crashed against the wall as her body slammed against his embrace, her lips eagerly finding his in a haste. His hands held her up by her firm, little rear and gave each toned cheek a squeeze. Obviously, her pelvis was doing better, he could very clearly tell by the way she was grinding against him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from…well…this. I'm better now, see?" Leo nodded quickly before sloppily sealing his lips against hers to shut her up. To her best efforts, her legs wrapped around his legs and shell as her arms embraced around his neck. She didn't bother making him work and let him in to taste her wriggling tongue, just like mint, only her flavor seemed to have intensified in their time apart. Leo was, without a doubt, addicting to kissing her. Roughly. Deeply. In every manner of kissing there was possible. She was in just as deep. There was hardly anything that she loved more than letting him dominate her lips and tongue. Well, there was one thing she loved more...

"Leo.." She panted, her hands on either side of his face and kissing down to his neck. "I want it, Leo. I want it so bad…"

"I know, just hang on a little longer, okay? Just hang on and then when we get home...you're all mine like you said. I don't give a damn who hears," He replied, his voice just above a rugged whisper as his hands gave her butt a good, hard squeeze making her tighten the hold her legs had. "Tell me how bad you want it,"

"Leo, don't..." The ninja didn't need two hands to hold her up, she hardly was anything to lug around. Using the wall to his advantage and pressing her against it, Leo let one hand glide up her smooth thigh and back down to that noticably warm space between her legs.

"Tell me, Shiho. I want to hear just how much you want me," When did he become such a deviant? He knew she hated wearing underwear. It was convenient she was wearing a pleated skirt, it gave him the ease of access he needed and roughly rubbed a calloused, thick finger against he mound. Instantly, her breath hitched and her hips jolted with a gasp. "Answer me."

"Leo I'm so desperate, stop it!" She hissed in a barely contained moan. Leo noticed and couldn't stop that smirk that came to play on his face. Another hard stroke of his finger in response to her defiance. "I need it...God I need it.."

And again, a hard rub and a dip of his large digit into her moistened core. He didn't even seem to care that they could be caught at any second.

"You need what?" He wanted to hear those filthy words come out of those beautiful, talented lips of hers.

"Need you..." Deeper he pressed into her making her bite her lip sharply. She had to say it. "Need you to fuck me,"

His brows rose, waiting for more. Defeated, she sighed and leaned in close so he could almost feel the desperation in her voice. "Fuck me hard, Leo,"

"Good girl. I'll take extra special care of you when we get home. You will go straight to my room, do you understand?" Why did it turn her on so much when he ordered her around like that?! Shiho couldn't stand it. When he had first come into her life he was this compassionate, strong-willed leader with a focus that made her dizzy. He was still that leader, but damn when he was aroused with no way out? He was something completely different. Something so masculine that it made her head spin.

Leo noticed her ear flick backwards and open a second before she jumped down to her feet and ducked away from the wall, pulling her skirt back around her thighs and clearing her throat. Donnie reappeared at the top of the stairs, unaware of what had happened not 3 seconds before.

"Shiho, you comin'?"

"Be right there, Don," She said without looking back, her eyes glued to Leo. He gave her that wink that detonated an explosion of nerves and tingles in her belly. The turtle watched her scurry up the stairs for Donnie to have his fun with her wounds once again; he had to take the time to recompose. Damn that fox was, as Mikey so colorfully put it, an absolute babe. He'd have her soon, and when he did, he'd make sure she wasn't walking right on his own accord.

"Far out," He whispered, following the flick of her tail.

* * *

**A/N: Is it wrong when I say this came to me ... in a dream? - Dafuq am I dreaming about being pinned against a while by a turtle for?! Ugh! It's so frustrating though. I know there's a lot of turtle smut out there and I'm trying to stay away from curse words and those gross things you know saying things like "cock" and "pussy" to describe anatomy. But you know, as a chick who's been teased almost to the point of no return, I just had to give Shiho a little bit of a dirty mouth. Hehehe, hope you liked. :)**


	11. Rock Into My Hairbrush

**A/N: More angst angst angst. I was listening to my Rock of Ages CD in the car today and started thinking of my next chapter. Then it occured to me, what if Shiho was some chick who loved to rock out in her pajamas and sing into her hairbrush without any shame? So, this chapter :)**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

_Previously:"Good girl. I'll take extra special care of you when we get home. You will go straight to my room, do you understand?" Why did it turn her on so much when he ordered her around like that?! Shiho couldn't stand it. When he had first come into her life he was this compassionate, strong-willed leader with a focus that made her dizzy. He was still that leader, but damn when he was aroused with no way out? He was something completely different. Something so masculine that it made her head spin._

_Leo noticed her ear flick backwards and open a second before she jumped down to her feet and ducked away from the wall, pulling her skirt back around her thighs and clearing her throat. Donnie reappeared at the top of the stairs, unaware of what had happened not 3 seconds before._

_"Shiho, you comin'?"_

_"Be right there, Don," She said without looking back, her eyes glued to Leo. He gave her that wink that detonated an explosion of nerves and tingles in her belly. The turtle watched her scurry up the stairs for Donnie to have his fun with her wounds once again; he had to take the time to recompose. Damn that fox was, as Mikey so colorfully put it, an absolute babe. He'd have her soon, and when he did, he'd make sure she wasn't walking right on his own accord._

_"Far out," He whispered, following the flick of her tail._

* * *

Waiting. More waiting. Leonardo was always a turtle of patience when it came to his missions and handling his brothers. But now, he had to wait for Shiho to heal another week before he could, at last, get his hands on her. All over her, in fact. Oh the places he'd put his hands. The sheer notion that his vixen wasn't even home in the lair while she recuperated was making him just as antsy. She was still at April's and but thankfully started answering his calls even after he and Donnie had come to check up on her two days ago.

Day one of five left and April was on the couch having her toenails painted by Shiho who sat on the other end of the sofa. They giggled and exchanged funny stories of the boys and Casey, talking smack on all of them. Painting a coat of silver on April's right foot, Shiho sat with her left leg tucked under her right thigh while dangling it over the couch with the red-head stretched out with a taco in her hand; Shiho's treat.

"So, Leo...is he hung?"

"APRIL!" The fur on Shiho's tail stood on end as she almost painted the red-heads foot in silver polish. April fell back onto her cushion holding her stomach and laughing.

"Oh come ON, Shiho! I told you about, Casey," An ear twitched.

"Yeah you did that on your own. I didn't ask. Why would you _ask _that? I'm already desperate enough not thinking about him," April sat up and hugged her knees. Shiho was cute when she blushed and flattened her ears out.

"Well?" Shiho focused on those damn toes. "SHIHO!"

"Like a horse," She mumbled and winced. What they didn't know, was they were, in fact, being watched by none other than the ninja in the blue mask. It took everything in his power to not reach through the window and pull that fox's tail as hard as he could for talking about something _that_ personal.

"Really?! Well, well, well. And?" Shiho hated when April got like this. But she was letting her stay at the apartment guilt free, so, Shiho went along.

"And it. Is. Amazing. Though, we haven't had the chance since the night before I got kidnapped. So, it's been somewhat of a dry spell," April snickered.

"Sorry I asked," The fox gave her look as if to say, 'Yeah you better be,'

They fell into a comfortable silence for a little while as Shiho moved on to the other foot to let her right toes dry.

"Hey Shiho?"

"Hm?" She hummed, not looking up from her meticulous work. She didn't want to mess up and have to start all over. April took the last bite of her taco and washed it down with the rest of her Dr. Pepper before starting again.

"Think you'll ever wanna have kids?" Shiho froze on the last toe. A few seconds past by in silence before she finished and screwed the nail polish closed and set it on the coffee table. April instantly wished she hadn't said anything, it looked like she hit a rough nerve. Leo leaned in a little closer on the balcony outside, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"No, no I don't think I ever will. I mean, look at me," She said, tugging on one of her ears for emphasis. But April knew that wasn't the real reason she hadn't considered it. Tucking her wet toes away onto the coffee table, April scooted closer and wrapped an arm around Shiho' narrow shoulders.

"Right, I guess I'm so used to the guys I forget that they're…" The red-head fell silent before finishing.

"Turtles. Yeah. I guess falling in love with Leo was fate's way of saying I'm not meant to have kids. Because well, I can't see how that would even work. It doesn't bother me really, I think about it sometimes. What it'd be like to be a mom, but, it's just not in the cards for me. Besides, there's enough of my kind out there as it is." The girls sat in silence for a minute or two before Shiho's left ear opened in the direction of the window. She heard a sigh and the clang of the fire escape. Instantly, she jumped over the back of the couch and nearly threw herself out the open window.

"Leo wait!" But she wasn't fast enough to catch a ninja like Leonardo. "Shit, he was checking on me,"

"Oh man, I'm sorry! Had I known-"

"It's okay. He isn't unaware that he and I can't…he'll be fine," Shiho said it more to convince herself than her friend on the couch. Leo didn't call her that night before she went to sleep, she imagined he was running rooftops to clear his head after what he'd heard. If he was, she didn't blame him.

It was no mystery or secret that Leo would never be able to give Shiho what Casey could give to April. They'd never talked about it, or mentioned it at all, but a part of him knew she secretly wanted something normal. But yet she stayed with him. He'd never understand why, maybe because she felt obligated to after he'd saved her that night at the docks? No, she didn't seem that shallow. Or, maybe she just really did love him and he was over thinking again. Whatever it was, hearing that she thought of wanting any offspring period was enough to hurt.

* * *

Day two of five left, Leo had given himself time to think. He meditated and concentrated long and hard before coming to the conclusion that Shiho wasn't going anywhere. She was headstrong about staying together despite the things she might be sacrificing even if she'd never admit to it. So until she decided to bring it up again, Leo filed that issue away for a later date. The boys all wanted to go topside tonight and Splinter was desperate to have a night free of his sons.

Donnie refused to stop bugging everyone about his studies of Shiho and countless other things. Mikey well…Mikey was Mikey and he always made Splinter nuts. Raphael was just stir crazy. Tonight Leo was going to lead them on an exercise run and maybe drop in on the girls and Casey.

Swift like the wind and silent as shadows, the turtles bolted from one rooftop to the next. Jumping off each other's shells and grinding down phone lines, the brothers moved as one unit. Like a single being moving along in a simple stroll with one foot in front of the other. Diving off the tallest buildings and rolling to a landing was always their favorite thing to do with a powerful burst of their signature "Cowabunga!"

They'd run uptown towards April and Casey's when they came to rest about 5 blocks away. Exchanging compliments and slurs back and forth, the brothers acted like they did in the old days. They really needed to get back into doing this more often, even if they were only able to go out at night. Being a creature who always had to run with the shadows, they didn't seem to mind because it always gave them the best views of New York at night. Like a giant black blanket rolled out with glittering lights and sounds and smells everywhere.

"Hey, Donnie! I bet you my first Superman comic that I can jump from this building onto that street lamp down there," Mikey said, hanging upside down from the ladder of the building's water tower. Donnie just crossed his arms and laughed.

"Hah! I understand everything about the laws of physics, Mikey. And I can tell you, for certain, that you will not be able to make that," Raph and Leo stood on the ledge and tuned their brothers out. A skill they'd mastered years ago.

"So, you okay about what you heard last night?" Raph said, nudging his brother's arm with his elbow. Leo just shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, if she really wanted to have kids, she'd have left me for someone else already," Behind them, they heard the crashing of Michelangelo's shell landing into the dumpster just behind the lamppost and Donnie busting at the seams laughing.

"That was easy. Thanks for the comic book, Mikey!"

"I'm okay…" There goes that wager. Raph dropped his face into his palm and sighed heavily.

"I can't believe I'm related to that knucklehead," Looking up, Raph caught a glimpse of a figure crouching on the corner edge of another building just a block away. It was hiding away beside one of the many stone gargoyles. "Leo…is that..Shiho?"

"What?" Looking in the direction the Raphael was pointing, Leo couldn't believe it. It looked like Shiho was out for a run of her own, but why wouldn't she call him? Shiho never did anything without at least letting him know. In the wind, the tail waved silently at its side as its hands grasped the ledge between bent legs. "Wait…I don't think that's Shiho,"

"Why? I don't know anyone else other than her creepy clone with a tail and ears like that," Raph said. But the seriousness in Leo's face made him nervous.

"Because neither of them have green eyes," Taking anther look, Raph couldn't believe it. The glow on this creature's eyes was a pale, but bright green. Calling down to Mikey to get up, Leo gave the signal to find out who or what that thing was and catch it.

With silent feet and swift legs, the brothers used the aid of the shadows to get closer to the figure on the distant roof. They were at last across the street and about to climb down when Michelangelo sneezed from dust that Donnie had accidentally kicked up. Instantly before any of them could move, that green-eyed creature scurried away with the speed of their own fox.

"Nice goin', Mr. Stealth," Raph smacked his younger brother upside the head.

"Ow! Hey! It isn't my fault, Donnie kicked up the gravel and dust! Why do you guys always gotta hit ME?"

"Why _not?" _Raph chuckled. Donnie nervously hunched his shoulders with an apologetic grin. Leo ignored his brothers as they jumped into a three-turtle dog pile to beat on each other, instead he focused on that figure. What was Shiho not telling him? He grit his teeth, annoyed that she continued to keep secrets from him. There had to be a reason for this reason, something bad must have been behind this mysterious new creature.

"Come on, let's just get to April's. Whatever that thing was, it has to know who Shiho is and I don't want them lft alone," He said at last after pulling his eyes away from the spot where the creature had vanished. Leo just wanted to see Shiho and relax for a little while before getting back to the lair, maybe sneak in a kiss or two. He'd forget about this for now, he'd wait until she was home.

* * *

In the apartment, April and Shiho were standing in front of the television in their shorts and t-shirts with their hairbrushes clenched in their hands. Casey had stayed downstairs in the shop cleaning up yet another pile of plates that he had broken. The girls were watching Shiho's movie, 'Rock of Ages' and belting out the lyrics to all the songs as they came on, dancing around and singing to each other.

"Oh, oh! I love this song, April!" Shiho giggled as the slow beats of 'Jukebox Hero' started and she watched Diego Boneta start to sing. The red head gave the fox center stage and turned the volume up to drown out the city noise. So loud in fact, they didn't hear their turtle boys land on the fire escape just outside the window.

Shiho stuck her free hand into her hair and mussed it up to cover her eyes as she started rocking her hips. Prowling over to April on the couch, Shiho brought the brush to her mouth like a microphone and started to sing. Leo contemplated sneaking in and surprising her, but he wanted to watch where this went. He'd never heard Shiho sing after all.

_Bought a beat up six string in a secondhand store  
Didn't know how to play it but I knew for sure  
That one guitar felt good in my hands.  
Didn't take long to understand._

To their surprise, the fox had a voice of silver and didn't miss a note. They held their mouths shut as April jumped up from the couch when the character on the screen slammed a chord on the guitar and took the next verse.

"Hey dude, your girlfriend has got some mad skills," Mikey whispered. Leo shushed him with an elbow to the side.

_Just one guitar slung way down low  
Was a one-way ticket only one way to go.  
So I started rockin' ain't never gonna stop  
Gotta keep on rockin'  
Someday I'm gonna make it to the top and sing_

The girls joined voices for the chorus sung by Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand's character.

_I love rock n' roll  
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby  
I love rock n' roll  
So come an' take your time an' dance with me_

The ninja's silently moved into the apartment and hid away out of sight to keep watching. Shiho swayed her hips back and forth and kept her make-shift microphone up in her fist. Her thighs pressed together and her chest slowly shimmied, Leo gulped.

"You're so bad, Shiho!" April yelled, Shiho smiled.

_In a town without a name in a heavy downpour  
Thought I passed my own shadow by the backstage door.  
Like a trip through the past to that day in the rain  
And that one guitar made my whole life change._

Together again, Shiho was joined by April. Leo found himself insanely attracted to Shiho like he had been night they'd found her at the strip club. Watching her luscious curves move back and forth like a seductive snake made him tight in the shell. Worries of the shadowed fox were stuffed under his attraction.

_An' we'll be movin' on an' singin' that same old song  
Yeah with me, singin'_

Now, the girls both acted like they were playing the air guitar and stood facing each other as they played power chords getting low in their knees and making faces. They switched off, Shiho was Jukebox and April was Rock n' Roll.

_(I'm a Juke Box Hero)  
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby  
(I'm a Juke Box Hero)  
So come an' take your time an' dance with me  
(Juke Box Hero)  
(Got stars in my eyes)  
(I'm just a Juke Box Hero)_

Mikey snickered and broke cover and jumped in to join the silly pair. He knew the words just as much as they did. His brothers quietly groaned and watched him dance with the girls and they didn't have a care that he'd been watching.

_(Juke Box Hero)  
I love rock n' roll  
(Juke Box Hero)  
So come an' take your time an' dance with me  
(Juke Box Hero)  
I love rock n' roll  
(Juke Box Hero)  
So come an' take your time an' dance with me_

The last part was sung only by Shiho as she ran her hands through her long hair and jumped into Mikey's arms.

_(Stars in my eyes)  
I love rock n' roll_

"Haha, bravo fair dudettes. You sing almost as pretty as me. _Almost._" Shiho giggled and tugged on his cheek. Leo jumped out of his hiding spot and quickly snatched his vixen away from Mikey with a grunt. Giggling, Shiho hugged him tightly around his neck and openly kissed him as the others came out to join April on the couch. And again, the couple was getting carried away.

"Alright! Stop sucking face and get outta the way, Leo!" Laughing, the fox pulled back as he sat in the recliner with her still tightly held. He could taste liquor on her breath, like sour apple. Must have been a martini. He oddly liked it.

"Been drinking?" He whispered to her, quiet enough so the others wouldn't be bothered while watching the movie. Her violet bangs fell in front her eyes as she nodded dramatically.

"Yup, super yummy martinis. Want some?" She was talking between barely contained giggles while she pet the sides of his face over and over again. Leo had never seen her when she was tipsy, Splinter never allowed alcohol in the lair. But that never stopped Leo from sneaking a few drinks here and there with Shiho on their favorite rooftop.

"Gimme some," He said, watching her reach over to the coffee table and pick up her half empty martini glass and take a sip. After making sure everyone else was glued to the screen, Shiho slowly opened Leo's lips with her tongue and he sucked the liquor right out of her mouth. It seemed the brothers and April were completely engrossed in the film to not noticed the turtle and fox playing Tonsil Hockey in the lazy boy.

"Mmm you're right, that was pretty tasty. You know, we could sneak out of here and go home early," His hand settled on her hips as her legs draped over the arm of the chair. Her tailed flicked slowly against the floor as his hand travelled up her closed thighs to her knees and back down.

"But…the movie," Leo chuckled.

"Come on, I'm better than any movie," He growled against her neck and made her sober up real quick. Glancing over at the turtles and April, Leo was fast on his feet and heading towards the window.

"I sure hope you aren't planning on leaving before I get the chance to make sure she's healed," Caught.

"Donniiiie, I'm fine!" Shiho whined. Donatello flipped over the couch to Shiho and her bandit hanging halfway out the window. Repeatedly, Leo smacked his head against the window sill.

"Shiho, do you want to re-crack your pelvis?" Shiho jumped on the genius and grabbed his purple mask to stuff in his mouth and drag him outside to the fire escape. The last thing they wanted was for his brothers to catch on and crash the party, probably with a video camera. Donnie gave her the dirtiest glare he could muster and was no doubt cursing at her through the mask that came out only as angry muffles and grunts. Leo was beside himself on one of the iron steps.

"Donnie, seriously. I'm. Fine. I am leaving with Leonardo and you are not following us," He reached for his mask and she firmly grabbed him by the wrist. "No, Donnie,"

The genius suddenly wore an expression that looked like he knew something they didn't. Suddenly, she hesitated and loosened her grip for just a second. Donatello saw his opening and reached out and tugged her ear to make her yelp and let go.

"Donnie!" Leo barked as his brother readjusted his mask and crossed his arms. Shiho glared, jackass.

"What are you gonna do about Master Splinter?"

Silence.

"Thought so. He isn't expecting you home for another three days. And when that happens, he's going with us to come over here. You think he doesn't know that his son grew up and got himself a girlfriend? You're being _given_ the chance of privacy. I nthree days. So, I suggest you two keep it in your pants until then," Leo collapsed dramatically against the iron steps with a very frustrated growl. Shiho contemplated tossing Donatello over the railing and being done with it, but he was right. No one could sneak around when the sensei was home.

Defeated, Shiho and the irritated turtle crawled back through the window to their previous spot in the recliner to watch the rest of the movie. Donnie just snickered, the leer from the fox could crack his shell but he laughed at her anyway. They couldn't get a damn break it seemed. But Leo resisted every urge in his body to whisk off to the bedroom, he couldn't do that in April's apartment. It would be too awkward, like the walls were watching. So instead, he settled for whispering things in her ear that would make Splinter cringe and April slap him. But the things he was saying so quietl and seductively made her squeeze and rubs her thighs together to stay composed.

"How is this a good movie?! All they're doin' is singin' songs from the 80's and catering to this Stacee Jaxx guy,"

"Dude Raph, relax, bro! It's awesome! These are classics, no one knows it better than Shiho and April. Right dudettes?" Mikey lay on his stomach with his chin in hands in front of the television kicking his legs up in the air like some child. April and Shiho just laughed and agreed.

Near the end of the film, the scene in particular where Sherri and Drew are singing 'Every Rose Has It's Thorn,' Leo couldn't help but nuzzle Shiho a little tighter. Call him a pathetic romantic, but he didn't like being reminded of what the thorn was to Shiho's rose. The tender snuggle brought his arms tighter around her and he inhaled her delicious scent. Vanilla and brown sugar. He rested his head against hers, listening to her hum along with the chorus. Her voice alone was soft and serene.

"OH MY GOSH! You didn't tell me 'Don't Stop Believing' was in this movie!" Mikey screamed as the movie was drawing to an end. He jumped to his feet and opened his mouth to sing.

"Just a small town girl! Livin in a lonely wor-OW! Hey who threw that?!" A book collided with Mikey's head making his solo stop short, the song on the movie still continuing behind him. After discovering it was Raphael, the younger brother pounced on the hothead and tossed him over the back of his couch. Leo and Shiho just chuckled as she went along with the words for Leo to hear.

Leo stopped paying attention to the movie a long time ago, Julianne Hough was hot and had a bitchin' voice, but he just couldn't compare the blonde to the fox in his lap. Damn, he couldn't imagine or figure out just what he'd done to make her love him like she did. She was singing to _him. _Not for everyone else to hear, but him. True, it had to be the cheesiest 80's song in existence, but she looked gorgeous and sounds just as lovely singing it.

In the darkness of the room, with only the glow of the television as the light, Leo's focus on the serenading vixen broke and he glanced outside.

There it was again. They were being watched.

Perched like it was on the rooftop a few blocks away, the dark creature with the ears and tail sat on the rail of the fire escape across the street. The bright green glow of its eyes bothered something deep in Leo that made him stand all of sudden and drop Shiho on the floor with a scream.

"Ayee!" She landed with a loud thump as he ran to the window. Leo hadn't noticed the vixen he tossed and winced as he slowly turned around when everyone screamed his name.

"LEO!"

"Leo! Ah…what's your problem?" Shiho grunted and was helped to her feet by Donnie and Raph. April and Mikey had jumped to their feet when she almost fell forward.

"I thought I saw…something," When he glanced back, the figure was gone. Sighing in defeat, Leo went to check her out. Already, he knew he was going to be ripped a new one by Shiho by the razor sharp glare she gave him.

"Shiho, you landed on your hip. You might have re-cracked your pelvis. Let me take you back to the lab and get it xrayed," Shiho sighed and straightened her shirt and shorts.

"No, I'm okay. You have some explaining to do, Prince Charming,"

"Hahaha, Prince Charming. That's a good one, sis," Mikey slapped hands with the fox as Leo fiddled with his fingers. "What exactly did you think you were seeing?"

Leo exchanged glances with Raphael and told him through just a stare. Shiho hated when they did that, it made the conversation so difficult to understand. Raphael was the first one on the window sill as he made a signal for his brothers to follow him and start for home. Shiho knew he was leaving now and made a face that made Leo smile.

"Hey don't give me that look, I'll be back. Tomorrow night, okay," April went downstairs to close up shop and give them a moment. She could already see Shiho's lip quivering and could tell she was going to be upset once he vanished into the night. Granted, the decision had been her own to stay away from Leo while she healed but it had been for the best. She just hated when he left.

"Yeah, okay," Those arms that she loved so much came around her tightly as he lifted her lovely chin.

"I need to take care of something, don't go out tomorrow. I'm serious. I'll explain when I stop by. Now give me a kiss," When she looked away with a pout, Leo forced her to look at him. With a look of power, he grinned. "Now,"

Ohh, when he did that…Like a good little fox, she melted and let him bend her back and kiss her hard. She squealed at the sudden change, he'd always wanted to try it after seeing it in a movie once. Kissing the girl of his dreams in the powerful embrace of his arms.

"There we go, now be good. I'll call you," Back up, Shiho blinked and he was gone. Damn he was good, she was weak in the knees and positively swooning. She'd make him pay.

But, what did he mean?

'_I need to take care of something,'_

* * *

**A/N: DON'T STOP! BELIIIIEVIN! Hahaha, ahhh I'm in a Rock of Ages mood and not TMNT for once. e-e. Anyway! Who dat figure!? The mystery continues. Will Leo EVER get laid again?! Stay tuned, duckies. Thank youuu. Read and Review!**


	12. Savor Tonight's Tenderness

**A/N: This one is a little longer but has yet no smut. That's next ;) But it won't be RAWWRRR RAGING SMUT, nah. I think I'm going to do my best and shoot for tenderness with a tangle of roughness from Leo. Listening to a LOT of Goo Goo Dolls and Lifehouse and Matchbox Twenty while writing this chapter. I'm sure it'll show. Read and review please!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

_Previously: _"_I need to take care of something, don't go out tomorrow. I'll explain when I stop by. Now give me a kiss," When she looked away with a pout, Leo forced her to look at him. With a look of power, he grinned. "Now,"_

_Ohh, when he did that…Like a good little fox, she melted and let him bend her back and kiss her hard. She squealed at the sudden change, he'd always wanted to try it after seeing it in a movie. Kissing the girl of his dreams in the powerful embrace of his arms._

"_There we go, now be good. I'll call you," Back up, Shiho blinked and he was gone. Damn he was good, she was weak in the knees and positively swooning. She'd make him pay._

_But, what did he mean?_

'_I need to take care of something,'  
_

* * *

2 Days left

"Donnie, what can you figure out about that thing we saw last night?" Leo said, stepping into Donatello's workspace. The purple masked genius looked up from whatever he was working on with those silly glasses that magnified his irises. It was hard to take him serious at all with those on his head; Leo had to clear his throat to keep from laughing. Taking the hint, Donnie took the magnifiers off his head and settled them on a small pile of books. Picking up what looked like a flash drive, he waved it back and forth.

"Well, I can look into the files I downloaded while we were in that weird observatory after picking up Shiho. I've been meaning to go through it, but haven't had the chance. I'll see if I can dig anything from the database that I hacked,"

"You know, dudes, I still have no idea how the FBI hasn't found us with Computer Geek over there," Mikey joked, coming in from the kitchen with a plate of pizza.

"I prefer to be called a Hacker, Mikey. Nice reference by the way," Leo rolled his eyes, exasperated. It seemed those two just kept feeding off each other, one joke or movie line at a time.

"Donnie!"

"I'm working on it, Leo. Jeez. I know you're antsy about not getting any action but don't take it out on me," Donnie teased.

"Haha, burrrrn. Eep!" The glare that Mikey received was bone chilling.

"Just do it, Donnie. I'm gonna go check up her. It's getting dark and whatever that thing was, it knows where she's at," And with that, Leo took off without so much as a 'Later.'

"Jeez, what's waxing his shell?"

"I dunno, Mikey. He's been on edge ever since we came across that thing. And since he saw it outside of April's apartment, he hasn't settled down. Plus you know, well, his girlfriend hasn't been home to uh…she just hasn't been home," Busily typing away, Donnie's eyes danced all over his computer screen to get the answers he needed.

"Think he's worried about her getting snatched again?"

"Maybe. Now hush-up, Motor Mouth. I have a lot of work to do and if I don't have anything by the time he gets back it's my butt that he'll be kicking. Go bug Raphael or something. He's not doing anything important," Donnie said, not taking his eyes off his data.

"I heard that!" Raph said from across the room, sparring with his punching bag.

"You were supposed to, Meat head!"

* * *

From the rooftop across the street from April's apartment, Leo was able to see Shiho. Able to see her sitting with April and Casey watching the news with some take out. As he sat still, his eyes looked around every few seconds for that shadow figure to show itself so he could have a few words. But of course, his stomach had other plans and gurgled and growled so loud he wouldn't be able to sneak up on anyone. Judging by the extra take-out box sitting in the window, they were expecting him to stop by. He did say he would after all.

"Thanks for the dinner, April," All three of them jumped from their spots on the couch and almost drop their food. Leo was sitting in the window with one leg dangling off and the other bent at the knee with his arm resting against it. With a hand on her chest, the fox set down her dinner and went over to the window and punched her turtle in the leg. "Ow? I think,"

"Don't scare me like that," Glancing over her shoulder, Shiho silently asked the couple if he could come inside. It wasn't her pad, she couldn't just let anyone in when she wanted. But April just looked at her as if to say 'Do you really need to ask?' and waved the ninja inside. She led him by the hand to the dining room and sat down so they could eat alone. As he settled into the chair, Shiho gave him a proper greeting with a hard kiss. Leo could get used to that.

"What are you doing here so early? I didn't expect you to stop by for a few more hours," With a pair of chopsticks, the vixen sat and gathered some sesame chicken and sticky rice and popped it into her mouth to quietly chew. Leo did the same; orange chicken with ginger sauce was his favorite and was all too excited to start eating. But after a few bites he felt her heavy gaze and her fingers coil loosely around his right wrist.

"Nothing. Just missed you. Everything been okay?" She made a face at him, telling him she didn't exactly buy his explanation but she'd bite anyway. After taking another small mouthful, she nodded and swallowed.

"Yeah. Been peachy, went out with April earlier to do some shopping. Hung out with Casey downstairs. You know, casual day," She sipped through a straw in her glass for some tea.

A few minutes passed in silence again as they ate together. Despite not talking, they never really felt uncomfortable, not when it got quiet. Except for tonight. Leo was acting strange and he wasn't telling her everything. It always made her concerned when he clammed up tight and didn't budge with any information.

"Leo, what's really bothering you? You can't really expect me to think you're not fretting about something when you won't even look at me," She said. So he'd been that obvious, huh? Leo polished off his carton and stuck the chopsticks inside once it was empty. Out of nervous habit, her wiped his mouth with the back of his left wrist and let his gaze wander everywhere else but on her.

"Leo,"

"What? Nothing! I swear. Can't a guy miss his girl?" Her lips pursed together as a manicured brow arched in subtle disbelief. Leaning back in her chair and crossing her bare legs, her foot dangled in a clockwise motion as her arms folded across her chest. _'Yeah, there we go, look at her chest, Leo. Look at her chest and try not to think about the creepy shadow you saw last night…damn those are nice. I wonder if they're firm today. Maybe she'll let me touch?'_

"Hmm…I suppose so. I haven't been home in almost two weeks. So I guess your excuse is valid. For now," She said, gathering the empty cartons to toss in the trash. Leo couldn't help but lean over and watch her walk away getting a nice long view of her rear and thighs…and calves. This whole 'Being apart to heal' thing was beginning to run its course. But naturally, he couldn't do a thing about it because Splinter was in the lair all day. If he tried asking him to leave, he'd get a staff smack to the head for being a pervert.

"Come on, we were about to put another movie in and I don't wanna be the third wheel again," Shiho said after returning. Her arms slid over his shoulders from behind his chair, leaning over him to the right to kiss him cutely on the cheek. Leo couldn't resist her when she acted cuddly.

"What movie is it?" He said, his right handing running backwards through her hair and over her ear.

"I dunno, something Casey picked."

"Mmm in that case, maybe I'll go. The guy has shitty taste in movies," Shiho giggled and kissed him again.

"Pretty please, Leo? I'll let you fondle me under the blanket," Well then. Seemed Shiho knew how to bargain.

"Since you asked so nicely, I suppose I can, just one movie and until you go to bed. Deal?" The pout on her face was nothing less than adorable. Leo loved it when she clung to him, not wanting him to leave. The feeling of being wanted was, without a doubt, his favorite thing about this relationship.

"Deal. Besides, they make-out relentlessly during flicks, we can get away with it too,"

"Let's get that movie started!"

* * *

Donnie sighed, rubbing his hand down his face feeling deeply disturbed and disgruntled. He had well over a thousand files to search for any answers that Leonardo might be interested, but so far he was coming up with little to nothing. But the few things he did find were enough to make him question the sanity of the human race. Records and video logs of Shiho through the years when she was growing up, and not a single one of them were nice or sentimental. While she had been an adorable kid, the things that this Marcus guy and his lab assistants did to her was nothing less than inhumane and cruel.

One video log in particular was enough to make him shut his computer down and hide his face in his palms. From what he guessed, Shiho looked no older than 14 years old. But the depressing factor was she was pitted in an experimental fight between her and Magdalena. It was unfair in its odds, she was shackled by that same device they'd found her in; around the neck and wrists and unable to properly defend herself and shocked whenever she'd even try. The morbid video recorded the poor fox being beaten and ripped to shreds for Magdalena's benefit and not hers. It made the genius absolutely nauseous to think of the agony she had to have gone through.

"Donatello, what is troubling you, my son?" Master Splinter approached his student with a steaming cup of tea and a concerned expression. Donnie smiled and gladly accepted the comforting beverage and walked with his master to the couch for a break.

"Just trying to find something for Leo in the files I snatched from Shiho's creator. I stumbled on a huge folder filled with recorded data and videos of the experiments and things they did to her. It was awful, Sensei. The poor thing," He said.

The energy flowing off Donnie read to Splinter as that of immense sadness and sympathy, the compassion the turtle exhibited made the father proud. He felt he had succeeded in giving his sons a necessary understanding of those who might need it. With a gentle clawed paw placed on the dome of Donnie's head, the master smiled gently to let his son know he understood.

"I see. Just remember, Donatello, she does not look for pity nor sympathy. Just understanding and equality in how you and your brothers treat her. But I trust a hug or two could not hurt, yes?" Donnie chuckled quietly and took a sip of the warm, pale green drink.

"Maybe you're right. She doesn't even talk about her past; I guess by not talking about it, it helps her forget. Right?" He said, looking to his sensei for the answer.

"Just maybe. From what you said and have found, her past was painful. It is only natural to want to for get the events that made us feel weak,"

"Leo seems to make her develop the strength she never had when she was growing up," Splinter closed his eyes and nodded shortly.

"Mm. He is growing, and with Miss Shiho at his side, I have no doubts that he will be balanced. Let us hope it lasts, I do not think he would be able to handle her absence permanently," Donnie rolled his masked eyes. Leo couldn't handle her gone for a few hours let alone a few days or forever.

"Thanks for listening, Sensei, and the tea. I'm gonna get back to work before Leo comes home," Polishing off the tea in one gulp, Donnie smiled before bowing politely. Splinter bowed with his head to dismiss his student to continue his search.

* * *

Back at April and Casey's, both couples sat curled up together watching Casey's choice of movie, 'V For Vendetta.' The blades and action really appealed to Leonardo's interest and appetite, but not enough to distract him from the fox that sat between his legs and against his chest. Like Shiho had said, the married pair spent a majority of the flick exchanging saliva. It almost didn't surprise the turtle how spot on she'd been about when they would start and stop. They weren't any better, though.

Leo's left hand resided permanently underneath Shiho's cotton v-neck, his entire palm gripping around her heavy breast. When he gave her a soft squeeze, she writhed slightly under the blanket they were covered in and tucked her nose under his chin and against his neck. To say that Leo didn't kiss her with every inch of his tongue would have been a lie. When she wasn't nuzzling his neck like a sweet little pet, she was battling him in a fight for dominance among slippery muscles.

"I can't wait until you get home," He whispered against the soft fur of her ear, making it flick wildly from the agitation of his breath. Up and down her slender belly, Leo guided his three fingers light as feathers to tease her skin into goose bumps. Like the fox she was, Shiho wore a sly and seductive smile before quietly gasping in response to the firm and rough squeeze her breast received.

"I miss you," She said. On screen, the movie was just about over, the enormous parliament building exploding to music and crowds of people wearing those Guy Fawkes masks played on. Shiho felt tired and couldn't stop herself from yawning, she didn't want to because Leo would notice and put her to bed. And of course, he did.

"Come on, bed time. I'll take you," He started to stand and lifted her, still draped in her blanket.

"Nooo," She whined softly, if he put her to bed, that meant he was leaving.

"One more day, don't worry. I'll be back tomorrow night, I promise," He could see how heavy her lids had grown and wondered what time she'd gotten out of bed this morning. Saying his goodbyes to April and Casey, Leo went on his way to the guest bedroom and carried her into bed. His effortless way of carrying her always embarrassed her, putting a blush on those pretty cheeks of hers.

"You never told me what it was you were doing today, Leo," She said groggily as he tucked her under the covers. Leo hesitated before sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, his hand petting her hair to make those eyelids droop even more. "Cheater…"

"I'm going to tell you, soon. But don't worry about it now, rest up and I'll be back for you tomorrow night to take you home," Shiho couldn't stop the bashful smile that her lips broke into, the chance to really be alone with Leo gave her a bubbly feeling. When he leaned down to kiss her cheek, she turned her head just in time and caught his lips. Damn she tasted good. Slowly, Leo pulled back and looked her right into those bright eyes.

"And when I get you home, I'll make those pretty thighs of yours shake so hard you won't be able to walk for days," He whispered, taunting her to want more. This side of Leonardo never ceased to arouse her, to turn her on like no tomorrow.

"I'd be disappointed if I got anything less," Chuckling, the fox winked as he kissed the knuckles on her hand. "I love you, Leo. Get home safe,"

"I will. I love you more, fox. See you tomorrow night," Shiho closed her eyes for just a second and reopened them to see her room was empty. Damn ninjas…

* * *

At last, the last day of Donnie's recommended 2 weeks of healing had finally come to an end. He had stopped by April's in the afternoon to give Shiho his best examination and asked her to gauge her pain. He almost didn't buy it when she said there wasn't any. But by the way she attacked and pinned him to the floor told him she was feeling peachy-keen. Either that, or she was just so sexually frustrated she might even be able to take on a rhinoceros with favorable chances. However, Donatello was a genius, and he knew better than to push buttons. Especially Shiho's buttons.

Donnie had told Leo about the records he'd found on Shiho, but hadn't stumbled on any files about any other hybrids yet. Leo had been less than satisfied with that answer but couldn't blame his brother, he had an entire archive to go through with thousands of files. He just wished he was closer to finding out who or what that was that he'd seen watching Shiho through the window a few nights ago. Those green eyes bothered him the most, they were so intense and piercing in their stare.

Finding out about the experiments Shiho had been put through and watching the videos didn't put rest to Leo's anger and utter distaste of Marcus. It only made it worse tenfold. The only foe that came close this sort of fury was The Shredder, and he'd long since buried that anger and hate when they at last destroyed that enemy. It seemed they'd bury one bad guy and another rose in its place with its own special level of sinister. He'd demolish a punching bag that afternoon after finishing up the briefing from Donatello, better to take out that anger in something inanimate right?

As the day started to fade away into night, Leo started to get one hell of a ribbing from his brothers. They were all still going to April and Casey's for the night until tomorrow afternoon, but that didn't mean none of them knew what he had in store for his fox. They teased him relentlessly by how spotless he'd made his room and made sure nothing was out of place or messy. Hell, Leo even went and polished as much of the lair as he could before he gave up trying to clean any the messes Mikey continued to make. He couldn't tell if his brother was doing it on purpose or if he was just that dense…perhaps a bit of both.

"So, Loverboy, when are you going to go pick up Miss Butterfly Lashes?" Raphael said, watching Leo light at least two dozen white wax candles in his bedroom. Behind the blue mask, Leo was glaring at his brother for bothering him when he was trying to get things done. "Ooh, someone is sensitive today,"

"Would you leave me alone, Raph? I don't think I need to explain myself for the things I do,"

"You're just trying to butter her up so she'll shack up with you in bed. Can't say I blame you, she is a hot dame," Leo approached his brother with an energy that seethed irritation and a slight tinge of jealousy. He hated when others mentioned Shiho's looks like she was some broad on the street.

"She's more than just a 'hot dame,' Raphael. I figured you'd know that by now. Can we go now? I want to go get her and get you guys out," Raphael chuckled as Leo pushed past him and gathered his brothers up to leave. Leo had his room looking pretty snazzy and Raph had to give him kudos points for style.

"Touchy tonight, jeez,"

* * *

One the way to the apartment, Leo snagged his fox a handful of her favorite flower and left money on the counter before the flower stand owner had the chance to look around to see a bouquet missing. What was Shiho's favorite flower? Daisies. She said so about 8 months ago shortly after they met when he had asked her what made her smile the most. She responded with looking at daisies. She had him surprised when she said that she'd never been given any before. Being a ninja and running with his obnoxious brothers with a bushel of daisies in one hand made for a never-ending cycle of jokes and teases.

But naturally, they all metaphorically had to put their foot in their mouth when Shiho saw Leo land on the fire escape with the daisies for her.

"Leo!" Shiho exclaimed breathily. She'd pulled him through the window and thrown her arms around his neck. Leo took a moment to look at his brothers with a smug grin as if to say 'Suckers!' and wrapped his arms tightly around the vixen. He even went so far as to give her a lift and a spin around before handing her flowers on over. "They're lovely!"

"Your favorite right?" By the beaming smile on those dark lips of hers, Leo guessed he'd done something right. Standing by the brothers and Splinter, April hit Casey in the back of the head.

"GAAH! What I do?!"

"Why can't _you _be that sensitive?! I like flowers too!" Casey glowered at the turtle who was occupied by the nuzzling hybrid under his chin. Her nose buried itself in the petals of her bouquet and inhaled their fresh aroma. Now Casey was the victim of the turtles' teasing.

"Go get your stuff and we'll get home," Leo said to the vixen. She was engrossed in her flowers but managed to hear him and floated away to fetch her backpack and cell phone. Leo turned his attention on his family and winked. "And you all called me a sissy for getting her daisies,"

"Oh did they? Looks like I'm going to have to teach all of you, including you Mr. Jones, about sensitivity and women," Collectively, all five of them groaned as Splinter chuckled and settled on the couch for his shows. Shiho returned and leapt into Leo's arms, and again April hit Casey.

"Why don't you carry me bridal style?!"

"Leo would ya leave already?! You're making me look bad here!" Casey yelled. Both Leo and Shiho cackled as he took the invitation too leave all too eagerly. Shiho was only able to squeak out a quick goodbye and a small wave before being whisked away out the window. Her flowers in one hand, her left arm went around Leo's neck to hang on as he ran over the rooftops. She spent almost the entire run back to the lair smelling her flowers and grinning, like she said she did whenever she laid eyes on daisies.

"You know, I don't tell you enough. But, you're an awesome boyfriend," She said as Leo carried her down underground. "I can't believe you remembered,"

"Come on, give me some credit. I'm not Mikey, I always pay attention. Besides, you said no one had ever given you any, and tonight is going to be amazing, I thought I would start it out the right way," Trudging through the waters, Leo held her close. He knew she absolutely hated getting unnecessarily wet.

"Mm, sure did. They don't get any better than you, Leo. I'll have to remember to keep you forever,"

"That's the plan," He said, and she swooned yet again. If Leo ever had any worries that she would stray away, this little gift solidified her commitment to him. Shiho felt overwhelmed in her own personal joy that she almost hadn't the energy to contain it. Many words described Leonardo in her mind, but none quite as well as this one; Perfect.

Entering the lair, Leo refused to let her feet touch the ground and brought her to where she was going to stay until morning, his bedroom. Shiho suddenly realized how utterly alone they were tonight and all at once her belly came alive with the Mothra of all butterflies. Fluttering away nervously, Shiho couldn't put to rest the tingling and warm feeling that came over her like a blanket.

The feeling exploded when she was brought inside his room and saw all the candles. Her eyes darted from one to the next and realized Leo had been anxiously getting this ready just for her. After the door closed them inside the candle-lit room, Leo at last set her down but kept his arms around the her waist at the small of her back. His forehead leaned down and tenderly rested on hers. The light from the candles cast an inviting and warm glow against her tanned skin, reflected off those glossy lips and in her violet eyes.

"Ready?" He asked. She didn't answer and instead leaned up on her toes to kiss him. Shiho was falling harder for him and there was nothing to stop her from being drawn further and further into that feeling of love the longer she stood there with him. The ninja pulled back when he felt the moisture on her cheek and her brows knit together, had she missed him that much? He just saw her last night. "What? Not good?"

"It's not that," The arms around his neck tightened as she closed her eyes and bit her lip. Leo pulled her against him, thinking that might comfort her. But when she smiled he was confused. "It's just, no one ever cared enough about me to do something so wonderful."

Leo's tense arms relaxed and he smiled at her.

"Well, I'm doing it now. So stop crying about it," He said softly and wiped that streak away with his thumb, lifting her chin back up. Those beautiful lips parted for a kiss and he greeted them happily and lifted her against him by the thighs, wrapping the sun-kissed limbs around him and made his way over to his-…their bed.

"Those memories will go away, starting right now,"

* * *

**A/N: Maybe it's the music I'm listening to or just tuning into that natural tenderness that Leonardo possesses, but I just felt the necessity to dip into how sweet he can be. Or at lest, how I imagine he'd be. Hehehe, yes, the lovin is coming next chapter. I just wanted to make this a little serene and sweet. Hopefully I succeeded. I'm jealous of my own character...Ugh, Leo. I don't care if you're a turtle, why don't you exist?! Hahah, thanks for reading, duckies. Next chapter should be up really soon!**


	13. Take My Body, Make It Yours

**A/N: Oh man, I struggled all day with this chapter. I kept referencing and trying figure out how to put what was in my head onto the document and I'm hoping I succeeded. Praying that this doesn't disappoint because I honestly gave it all I got. Please review!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

_"Ready?" He asked. She didn't answer and instead leaned up on her toes to kiss him. Shiho was falling harder for him and there was nothing to stop her from being drawn further and further into that feeling of love the longer she stood there with him. The ninja pulled back when he felt the moisture on her cheek and her brows knit together, had she missed him that much? He just saw her last night. "What? Not good?"_

_"It's not that," The arms around his neck tightened as she closed her eyes and bit her lip. Leo pulled her against him, thinking that might comfort her. But when she smiled he was confused. "It's just, no one ever cared enough about me to do something so wonderful."_

_Leo's tense arms relaxed and he smiled at her._

_"Well, I'm doing it now. So stop crying about it," He said softly and wiped that streak away with his thumb, lifting her chin back up. Those beautiful lips parted for a kiss and he greeted them happily and lifted her against him by the thighs, wrapping the sun-kissed limbs around him and made his way over to his-…their bed._

_"Those memories will go away, starting right now,"_

* * *

"I can't help but feel nervous, Leo," Shiho said through the motions of kissing her ninja. Leo chuckled softly against her lips and looked at her as he set her down on her feet and bumped her calves against the bed.

"Heh, why? We've done this before," Kisses traveled down her jaw to the nape of her neck while his hands roamed her back and dropped to her rear, gripping the soft flesh. Leo had been desperate to get his hands on her for the last week, finally feeling those supple and full curves in his palms put him at immense ease. His teeth teased the thin, sensitive skin against her neck. She smiled at him.

"I have no idea," Her hands worked and succeeded in pulling off the blue mask. Shiho loved the way his face looked with it on, it gave him a sense of mystery and left her with a lingering curiosity to see more. With it off, he wasn't that serious, honor-bound ninja and was just Leonardo, but more importantly under the mask he was her lover.

"Don't be nervous," He said, taking another nip at her heated skin and raising a small whimper between her pouted lips. His thumb grazed against her glossy bud. "No more talking, just show me how much you missed me,"

Shiho had long since abandoned her flat shoes and thin panties, letting them drop down her toned calves to gather around her ankles. Leo focused on getting those belts and swords off his back and fought with his elbow and kneepads before returning to her with his hands cupping her face. Dozens of kisses greeted her trembling lips and left him to question just how badly she wanted this. With a good grip on her tight butt, Leo grinned.

"Up we go,"

The ninja wasted no time in settling with his shell against the mountain of pillows she insisted that they always needed, the fox straddling his lap with hands pressing lightly on his shoulders. His fingers found the zipper on the back of her patterned sundress and slipped the straps slowly down her soft shoulders. Strong hands gripped the fabric until it almost ripped and brought her forward to bury his face in the soft, supple cleavage to inhale that warm scent she carried.

Slowly, tauntingly Leo dragged his tongue against her plush breast and danced around her pert nipple. Shiho hissed with her nails digging into his shoulders. He felt the pain but fed off it as he roughly sunk his teeth down onto her mound, hard enough to mark her.

"Y-you bit me, Leo," He'd never done that before. Leo sensed that the primal animal that lay buried deep inside was starting to show, marking her like his mate.

"You're mine," He growled, moving up to suck her neck and left a dark purple mark in his wake. Her hands spread against the top plates of his plastron, scarred and ridged from years of battles and clashes with his enemies and brothers.

The vixen's face was flushed in a tinge of pink and he couldn't help but wonder if it was from the tenderness and sheer attention she was getting. The atmosphere of intimacy and blissful erotica had the vixen intoxicated and drowning in her desires.

Now that they were finally alone, Leo couldn't help but feel like he had the real chance to marvel at the vixen without anyone barging in and stopping him short. His hands were on a mission to touch her, grab her, squeeze her; they started at her thighs, sliding under the thin fabric of her dress. His thumbs hooked the hem and began the process of pulling it off her body, taking the time to watch her ribcage roll and shift under her smooth and taut skin. With her arms above her head, Leo at last stripped her down and brought his eager hands up the front of her slim belly. Thick fingers traced the patterns of her swirling tattoos on her ribs and he grinned to see her skin react to his touch. Under his hands he could feel her shiver as he moved up to hold both of her breasts.

Shiho placed her hands on the tops of his and forced them to grip her mounds and rotate around. Leo had to stop and stare as she rocked curvy hips against the soft part of his lower shell to make his arousal grow and make an appearance. The pressure of his hardening shaft was enough to make the calm and collected ninja absolutely insane as he fought to keep his tail and shaft together a little longer. Leo secretly thanked himself for lighting the candles and abandoning traditional light, the shadows that danced and flicked over her naked body were enough to make him hard as stone.

Leo moved his hands away from her breasts and traveled up her fragile neck to grasp the sides of her face. The look he gave her made her heart jump in her chest and speed up in its pace, the butterflies wreaking havoc in her belly. A look that exclaimed _I love you _but did so in sweet silence. The subtle rolls and grinding in her lovely hips didn't falter as he stared, if anything they intensified in their gravity and force making him groan. Thumbs caressed her cheeks and she smiled.

"Hm, you're so beautiful," Almost instantly that pink blush deepened to a stark crimson. Pulling her down, Leo danced his hands down her curved spine and rested on her plump ass. "C'mere,"

Shiho didn't dare disobey and kissed Leo with parted lips which he forced to a complete open with his demanding tongue. Against her belly, Shiho could feel just how needy Leo was becoming; firmly against her skin his erection twitched and ached to meet with her body. A shaky, small hand traveled between them as they tasted each other and slithered tongues. Gently at first, Shiho coiled her fingers around Leo's length and he hissed in response.

"Shiho…" He said against her hot mouth, rocking up into her hand which slowly stroked him into an agonizing need. Up and down her tiny hand coaxed moan and after moan out of Leo's throat with his head back against the pillows. She'd never actually touched him like that before and wondered where she learned it from; April no doubt. His thoughts turned off when the smooth skin of her flat tummy brushed against his sensitive penis making him thrust upward without control.

"Nngh…like that," Leo was going slowly insane, his vision blurred when her grip tightened and her friction increased with her speed. Already, he was coating her hand in bits of his hot essence and left him to ponder about how her own arousal was coming along. With a guiding hand on her hips, he made her sit up straight and used his left digits to rub against her mound.

"Leo-..!" Already, Shiho was moist. But he wanted her soaking, and he'd do so by prodding at her core with the head of his length. Fingertips twirled around her sensitive clit, those beautiful hips of hers jolting out of control and her arousal growing to a dripping consistency. Barely pressing his firm, thick erection inside and pulling back out, Shiho chewed into her lip with those cute canines. By the way she was gasping, he had guessed Shiho was slipping away into her lustful nature. The wild buck of her hips solved that mystery.

"Tell me," He ordered, barely entering the tortured fox and left her quivering when he held tightly to her hips. He wasn't about to let her move until he said she could even though she tried. Letting go of his hard erection, Shiho gripped the pillows on either side of his head and clenched her teeth tightly together.

"I want it, Leo..S-so bad," She gasped, hunching her shoulders until her shoulder blades pressed against her skin. Small, teasing thrusts brought her back to focus. "Give it to me.."

"Not good enough," His voice was low and sexy, a sound that made her ears buzz. Rubbing the head of his penis against her trembling folds, Leo stared firmly at her gaping lips. Her canines coated in a layer of her saliva, oh she was so desperate. "You better tell me what you want, or you'll get nothing."

Leo was being cruel on purpose. Her shuddering breaths and twitching hips told him that.

"F-..fuck me Leo..!" She gasped when his thumb pressed hard against her swollen numb like a button to get the reaction and answer he wanted. "P-please, Leo. I need you to fuck me,"

"Good girl," Shiho nearly screamed her voice the most erotic sound he'd ever heard when he plummeted deep inside her hot core. After what felt like an eternity apart, Leo was finally inside the warm and slick womanhood of Shiho's that he'd been in agony missing. It didn't take more than a second for the smooth walls of her body to come around his invading shaft and hold him tightly. The ridges inside her quivered to be stroked and rubbed with vigorous friction, something she was all to eager to have.

"Mmn…s-..so..big," She gasped, fighting to stay above the level of drowning in need. Leo smirked, she fed into his ego with the mention of his size. The mutant had every bit of space inside her quivering chamber filled…stuffed to capacity and the sensation had her absolutely writhing in his lap.

With a curve in her spine, Shiho leaned forward to latch mouths with Leonardo in a sloppy and barely contained kiss. He liked it messy, to feel their saliva mix and watch it dribble down her chin and neck. But Leo never guessed she'd be this tight in this position, his mind reeled when she used the strength in her thighs to rock her pelvis up and down and forward and back. Shiho was positively gorgeous wearing that expression of raw pleasure on her face as she rode the ninja to euphoric bliss, and she rode him hard.

Shiho gasped sharply and used her hands against his chest to steady herself as Leo slipped a strong hand into her hair and buried his fingers into the roots, giving the strands rough tug and yanking her head back. Leo was getting crude in the way he touched her, his other hand firmly slapping her on the ass and gripping the muscled cheek in his palm. Shiho didn't seem to mind and rocked and thrust herself onto his twitching length harder and much faster. With clenched teeth, Leo couldn't stop himself from adding to the friction and pierced his mewling fox in synchronicity with her gyrations. The motion almost made her arms give out as her tight rear slapped down against his firm thighs in each downward thrust.

"Leo!" She choked his name out as he assaulted her swollen sweet spot with the intensity to make her see stars. Her hips slowed down and let him take over, grinding her mound down vigorously to press him as far inside her as she could stand. He could see that glow in her eyes become bright in her heightened ecstasy, a discovery that he was keeping to himself.

"Don't you dare stop," Leo snarled when he suddenly noticed her stopped motions. When she made no intention to move, he growled and hooked his leg around her and rolled over until she was pinned beneath him. Firmly holding her thigh against his side, Leo pitched his stiff shaft into her ever tightening core with the gusto of a man on the edge. An arch in her back gave him the chance to slide an arm under her and hold her tight.

"Ahhn..h-harder.." Her voice was remarkably mousy as she sank into the pillows under his weight. A deeply pleasured scream crawled up her throat when he did as she requested, the soft plates of his shell thumping against her womanhood. Leo didn't even care that her nails were gripping his arms until blood puckered under and trickled down the muscle, he took it as encouragement that he was doing just what she wanted.

"Jesus, Shiho…" He mumbled, not slowing or stopping as the slick walls of her filled core tightened around his thrusting penis and threatened to not let go. Tossing her head to the side with her eyes clenched shut in a sign of submission, Shiho spoke between panting, labored breaths.

"A-…almost, Leo," The lust driven vixen coiled her tongue around his with her arms hugging him by the neck. This wasn't the first time the pair was doing this, but he'd never seen her face look the way it did. A mixture of need, want, lust, and deep desire. Any lingering doubts or fears that Shiho didn't want to stay together because of her secret want for offspring vanished when her gaze held him in a steady lock. Shiho wouldn't bother wasting her time with him like this if she didn't truly want to stay.

Spending so much time apart left their bodies filled with so much angst, Leo was already on the verge of finishing. He wanted to go all night but his body was about to betray him. He couldn't deny the rapture and jubilation that filled his senses when she was like this, writhing and crying out, moaning and clenching his length so hard he couldn't see straight. His arms buckled and he almost collapsed against her.

"Shiho, I'm-...I'm," He couldn't get the words out and slammed with all the force he could into her depths and she screamed something beautiful. He felt her muscles seize and a rush of warmth come over him from inside her as she hit the roof in her climax. His body waited not 2 seconds more before the head of his shaft twitched and Leo grunted against her neck, gripping her thigh in a hold that bruised her skin as he released into her hot depths.

The deepest of groans rumbled in Leo's chest and throat, the sound tickling her ears and making her pelvis react and buck against him. The thrusting slowed, his shaft rubbing her insides until they vibrated and eventually came to a halt.

"Leo…Leo, darling," Shiho's hands pet his face, her palms moist from his sweat. Shiho's insides and cervix burned, Leo came. She reeled in the sting that his body gave hers and laid perfectly still, well…as still as she could while shaking like a leaf on a tree. Leo's face remained buried in the crook of her neck as he gasped dryly and tried to steady his heartbeat. "A-are you alright?"

Leo looked up and smiled at her. The violet bangs clung to the sides of her angelic face from the sweat he'd worked her into. Leo sucked in a shaky breath and kissed her damp forehead.

"Yeah…I'm okay," Leo hadn't pulled out of her yet; he wanted the warmth to last just a little longer and rubbed the smoothness of her thigh. The tall ears on her head straightened out flat as she adjusted herself under his weight. Her thighs had an unfamiliar ache, a sharp and piercing pain she hadn't felt before. "Are you?"

"Mm…never been better," Leo chuckled and slowly retracted himself out of her depths and slumped over to her right. Now she looked at her thighs to figure out what that strange pain was. "Leo!"

Groaning, Shiho fell back against her pillow. The insides of both of her thighs had been rubbed raw and deeply bruised from the slamming of the rim from his top shell. Leo sheepishly chuckled and quickly bought her under the covers and crushed her soft form against him. Shiho was shaking so hard, he hadn't anticipated she wanted it _that _bad. Wanted him. It made him want to kiss her all night.

"That was amazing, Babe," She cooed, nuzzling close under his chin. Leo sighed contently and ran his hand down the back of her head, folding her ears down as he went along.

"Let's not wait so long to do it again, yeah?" With a trembling hand, Shiho pat the top of his bicep as she settled her panting into slow and steady breaths.

"Deal,"

* * *

In the apartment, the brothers had all sat through April ranting about romance and sensitivity until she at last shut up and they played poker at the table. Splinter sat in comfortable peace with his soap operas that April had recorded for him. Around the table in the kitchen, the turtles ducked behind their hands of cards and snickered. None of them had very good poker faces, especially Michelangelo.

"So how do you think it's going with Leo and Shiho?" Donnie said, tossing in a few poker chips. Between Raph and Casey, they giggled like idiots.

"Really? You need to ask? You shoulda seen his room, Donnie. It was just dripping with candles. He's probably givin' it to her right now," Raph snorted. He had no tact.

"Well jeez, Raphael. Way to make our brother sound like a sleaze," Donnie replied from behind his cards. Mikey laughed at slapped his hand down with a grin.

"Full house!" Everyone stared in disbelief.

"Dammit! That's the fourth game tonight!" Raph growled and slammed his cards on the table as Mikey gathered all of the chips with both arms. He grinned like a fool and stuck his tongue out at his seething brother.

"Don't be mad that I'm better than you at cards AND ninjitsu. Jealousy is not a good thing, dudes. OW! What was that for?!" Another slap to the head.

"For being Mikey," Donnie rose from his seat and went over to rest beside his sensei, laptop in his hands with the flash drive with Shiho's information. He was going to keep looking for whatever could possibly explain the presence of that shadow creature from the other night. While he wasn't as worried as Leonardo had been, he was deeply bothered.

File after file, 3 hours, and 5 cups of coco later, Donnie was about to give up until he came across a folder that was titled "Micah." Rubbing his chin, the genius went with his hunch and opened the file to see what was inside. His eyes almost popped out from behind his mask and he exclaimed loudly, nearly startling poor Splinter to death.

"OH MY GOD!" His outburst attracted his brothers and fellow friends to hover around him behind the couch.

"What the hell is the matter, Don?" Raph said, he sounded agitated. Pointing at the screen, Donnie showed them all just what his issue was. It was a file that was similar to Shiho's. Only, it was for another fox hybrid. Except this one was a male.

"Subject's name is Micah, and he's the same age as our Shiho. Black hair and green eyes," Donnie read. They all had a bad feeling. "In the notes Marcus wrote that the bonding process between subject and first hybrid, Shiho, is failing. But he wanted to continue so that eventually they would…mate?"

"Leo is going to flip," April said, gripping the back of the couch with her hands.

"She's got a mate? But what about Leo?" Raph said, trying to get a grasp on this information.

"Says here she kept fighting with Micah, lashing out at him physically whenever he tried to touch her. So, she was still a virgin when she and Leo got together, that much is true. But, this is still unsettling. This guy…he's following her. He must have gotten out the night the lab was destroyed and has been looking for her ever since," Donnie finished and scanned the document for anything else.

"Hey look at this, a file named 'Pack?'" He exchanged glances with his brothers and friends and received a nod from Splinter.

"Open it, Donnie," Raph grumbled. The genius double clicked the folder and found more files similar to the Micah file. Only there were three more, all with different titles; Fiona, Aanika, and Saundra.

"Looks like Shiho wasn't the only one they made. But none of these are clones like Magdalena. Let's see, Fiona; a surrendered embryo 3 years after Shiho. Fox hybrid with a timid personality. Red hair and hazel eyes," Donnie read off the document. This unraveling mystery to the laboratory was becoming insane. Not only was Shiho not alone, but she never mentioned any other hybrids. Perhaps she thought them dead after the lab fire.

"What is it with this guy? What else Donnie?"

"I'm looking Raph. Okay, Aanika. Ah man, this girl was surrendered only 4 years ago, she's a toddler. Fox hybrid with pale brunette hair and blue eyes. Looking at Marcus' notes, she was particularly fond of Shiho, you know, clung to her like she was her mother," As Donnie went on Splinter's ears drooped in growing sadness. So many children given up for a life of science experimentation. He couldn't understand why any parent would want to sell their children for the exchange of money. Mikey actually was silent, he was in rare disbelief. Raph on the other hand, growled.

"This guy really has a thing for foxes don't he? Any turtles in there?" Donnie chuckled lightly and opened the last file. His eyes darted all over the page and scrolled faster than any of them could keep up.

"Well, Saundra here is 20 years old. She's the only one who isn't a fox. It looks like he was experimenting with reptilian DNA," Raph leaned in closer to look at the profile picture. "Let's see, looks like some form of gecko. She's the most aggressive out of the bunch, dirty blonde with brown eyes,"

"So, you mean to tell me, that not only is Shiho not alone…but there are four more of these things wandering around New York?" Casey said. Donnie shrugged.

"Not sure, the only one we've seen is this Micah character. And it looks like, from the way he's been stalking Shiho, he's trying to make her his mate," Raph couldn't help but laugh. He knew for a fact that Leo wasn't going to let her go that easily. Especially after tonight.

"I'd like to see him try. Leo would slice and dice him before he could blink,"

"I wouldn't be so sure, Raph. None of them were diagnosed with The Madness like Shiho, but this one and Saundra…they're ranked just as deadly as Shiho. Maybe worse," The group fell silent and all thought of their fellow blue masked turtle. They were afraid of what this discovery would do to him. He just got Shiho back, they couldn't imagine what he'd do if he found out someone else was trying to take her away again.

"We keep this under wraps until we get home. And then, we tell Shiho that Micah is out there. One thing at a time guys,"

Yeah, one BIG thing at a time.

* * *

Leonard and his divine fox were on round number three at just after 1 am. It seemed that in their time apart, they were building up and storing enough energy to have sex for weeks. Which, Leo wouldn't mind except for the fact that now Shiho's thighs looked like a Paint By Numbers project and her tight little entrance had become raw and immensely sore. She wasn't going to be sitting normally for a few days and he was just fine with that. All a sign that he'd made powerful love to his woman and made damn sure that she wouldn't-...couldn't be satisfied by anyone else.

"Oh man…I think..ahh I think we're done for tonight," Leo said with a gasp. He pulled out of the trembling fox that was on her hands and knees and absolutely spent. Letting go of the thick tuft of hair he'd grabbed onto Leo collapsed onto his back side to her right after slapping her on the ass to finish. Her thighs quaked and her knees knocked together, he looked so smug with his hands laced behind his head. He'd done just what he promised and left her trembling but oh so satisfied.

"You sure know how to keep a promise, don't you Leo?" Laying down onto her side and facing him, her arm slithered under the pillow to support her head and relax. Man, Leo hadn't felt this good…this exhilarated in years. All thanks to that little fox that was staring at him through long eyelashes.

"Told you I would make those pretty little thighs of yours shake," He said, tucking a thick lock of her hair over her bare shoulder. All over her neck and collar bone, even parts of her breasts were decorated in dark Leo bites. He'd made sure to lay claim to her body.

"Shiho?"

"Hm?" She spoke, opening her ear to listen.

"I was kind of…wondering if you'd…" He fumbled around in his brain for the words to say. "See, according to Donnie, we're all getting to that age where we start looking for our mates, you know what I mean?"

Puzzled, Shiho's brows furrowed slightly as she shifted her gaze away and back at him.

"Not…entirely? I thought what we just did—"

"Exactly. Maybe I did it without asking but all those marks, my scent all over you? I just made you my mate. I sort of got carried away, see, and maybe I should have asked first and—"

"Leo! Jesus, calm down. I already know, Donnie ran this by me when he stopped by a few days ago to check up on me. But, I thought that because I'm a fox-human hybrid that I couldn't be your mate," Damn she was cute when she looked downtrot, like she wasn't going to get her way.

"Nah see, being a mutant means I get to bend the rules a little. And since the beginning, I've always wanted it to be you. And I know that…" He looked away for a moment to gather himself. "I know I can't exactly give you any kids. I know we're in love, but just some differences don't work out,"

"So you did hear us that night at April's," The way he sighed brought her closer to his body, her slender fingers gently grazing down his neck. "I'm okay with it, Leo. Really. I don't need to get pregnant to be as happy as I am right now. You're all I need, understand?"

Leo gulped, though she said it didn't matter, he still couldn't help but feel like he was holding her back. But when she made it sound like he really was all she'd ever need, he believed her.

"Yeah. So, you're okay with this? Being my mate? We both have those deep rooted animal instincts, why not feed into a few of them," Shiho burst into a soft laugh and tucked herself under his chin and laid against his shoulder.

"Mhmm, I'll be your mate. And you'll be mine. I don't want whatever else the world gives me, because it isn't you,"

"Jeez you're a sap," He teased.

"Shut-up, Domehead and kiss me," She spat with a tiny hint of fox fury.

"Happy to," He said, and leaned down and lifted her chin by pressing with his fingers and kissed her. Softer than all of the other kisses tonight. One thing was for sure, Shiho wasn't going to let anyone get between her and what she wanted the most; Leo. She'd go down fighting before anyone or anything tried to take her happiness, hell, her family away.

Not now.

Not ever.

Although, one hybrid in particular had other plans…

* * *

**A/N: I feel lik i just rambled with this one after the smut e-e. But it was important rambling! D: I swear! I doubt if I'll play in ALL of the hybrids, just the necessary ones. Playing around with a few ideas in my head, I feel bad that Leo is the only one who gets any tail. But anyway, we'll see! **


	14. She Meant Forever

**A/N: Helloooo, duckies. So this is more of a nuetral chapter. Down time before something else exciting happens. So, if it seems a little boring, I'm sorry! But, more development on the new hybrids :D Stay with me, it gets interesting again soon, I promise! Read and review please!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

"_Mhmm, I'll be your mate. And you'll be mine. I don't want whatever else the world gives me, because it isn't you," _

"_Jeez you're a sap," He teased._

"_Shut-up, Domehead and kiss me," She spat with a tiny hint of fox fury._

"_Happy to," He said, and leaned down and lifted her chin by pressing with his fingers and kissed her. Softer than all of the other kisses tonight. One thing was for sure, Shiho wasn't going to let anyone get between her and what she wanted the most; Leo. She'd go down fighting before anyone or anything tried to take her happiness, hell, her family away. _

_Not now._

_Not ever._

_Although, one hybrid in particular had other plans…_

* * *

Leo was the first one to wake up that late morning. Or was it afternoon? He couldn't be sure, he and Shiho had been up until at least 6am and buried deep in one of those deep, personal conversations. It wasn't until she had fallen asleep that Leo realized how exhausted he had made himself. Their reunion after her time at April's to recover had been everything he had wanted and more. As he sat up in bed and rubbed the heavy sleep out of his naked eyes he glanced down at the fox to his left lost in her serenity and dreams.

Shiho said she'd be his mate. The fact wrapped around his heart like a hot flame and almost suffocated it with more joy than he knew was possible. From now on, she was his. He almost felt bad for his brothers; they didn't seem to have quite the same luck as he did. Poor Donnie would always be fawning over April but would do so at a safe distance. Mikey was probably too obnoxious to keep a girlfriend if one for him ever existed and drive her to the brink of insanity with his loud mouth and video games. Not to mention his daily boasting about being the Battle Nexus Champion. And Raph? Well, Raph was an easy one to figure. If the opportunity ever arose and someone _did _show up, he'd shut that girl out behind his mile high walls and she wouldn't stand a chance.

"Hm…guess I got the lucky break," Leo mumbled to himself and crawled out of bed as slowly as he could to not stir the mattress or rouse Shiho. Judging by the rather laborious love-making she participated in, Leo guessed she was going to be out for while longer. Or he hoped she would. He looked all around the room for his pads and belts after he'd thrown them off last night, they were scattered. The last piece of his "wardrobe" to be put back in place was that blue headband. He tied the complicated knot and adjusted it over his eyes before glancing back down at his vixen as she turned over.

"Oh Leonardooo!" A yell downstairs nearly startled him out of his shell and he ran out of his room to see who it had been.

'Michelangelo! Would you keep it down? Shiho's still asleep, you punk," Leo whispered sharply. His brothers had come home earlier than he had anticipated. Looks like paradise was long gone for now. Splinter waved a paw at his oldest son and retreated into his personal space to meditate. Leo jumped down to the floor and slapped hands with Donatello.

"Have a fun night?" He asked, waggling his brows suggestively at his older brother. Leo rolled his eyes and glanced sideways at the genius.

"You have no idea. Just keep the noise down, she's exhausted,"

"Yeahhh, atta boy," Raph clamped a hand down on Leo's shoulder and gave it a squeeze and a shake. Raphael knew exactly how Leo's night went, but felt driven to ask anyway. He was nosy! "How'd everything go?"

"Well, I'm not going to give you play-by-play details, Raph. That's personal, but she did agree to be mates," Raph and Donnie exchanged worried glances and gulped, they felt guilty for knowing about Micah before Leo did. "What? It isn't good news?"

"No it is! Congrats, Leo. Really, she loves the hell outta ya," Behind the red mask, Raph's eyes met Leo's. He really was happy for his brother, who wouldn't be? Being a mutant turtle didn't really make you desirable with the ladies. The fact that Leo had actually found one and she wanted him just as much was a miracle. But that lingering tug of that other hybrid weighed heavily on his conscience. The look from Donatello told him that they'd tell him, just not right now.

"Thanks," Upstairs, they heard the crash of Shiho falling out of bed. No doubt, from the stiff muscles in her thighs. Leo winced when he heard her nails scrape against the stone wall in frustration. Out she came and wobbled to the steel banister and glanced down at her turtles. Leo admired his work.

"You did that?" Raph said, indicating upstairs with a nod of his head. Leo shrugged his shoulders and chuckled as she grumbled, looking quite bedraggled. She had the text-book definition of sex hair. "Well, well, well; look at what we got here! Have a great night—WOAH! Your legs!"

"What? Oh…shell burn," Shiho said as she managed to get down the steps. Shiho said it so matter-of-factly like it was just so obvious why the burns and bruises were there. It seemed she didn't give a damn that her thighs looked like hell. The bruising had deepened overnight to a sore blue and purple that ached whenever she took a step. Leo blushed as she collapsed on the couch in her oversized t-shirt. The dark bites decorated her neck and collarbone, he didn't remember leaving that many and felt a pang of guilt for bruising her up so bad.

"Jesus, Leo. What did you do? Beat her?" Raph said, Donnie cracked up laughing and scuttled away to his workshop before Leo could smack them both. He settled for the back of Raphael's head. "OW!"

"Shut up. I've got my battle scars too," His brother hadn't even noticed the deep, swollen welts on his biceps or the punctures in his neck from those little canines of hers.

"We got ourselves a couple of freaks. OW! Shiho! Jeez," The fox had reached up and taken a swipe at Raph's thigh with a grunt. Mikey was next to join the party and just laughed at them both. Shiho almost felt hung over without the nausea. She made it a personal note to never leave Leo like that ever again, it was a health hazard. A sexy hazard, but a hazard nonetheless.

"Shiho, when you're feeling better, Donnie wants to talk to ya alone," By the groan she made, Raph guessed that she thought the genius wanted to run more tests. "He's just gotta ask you something. It's important."

Leo felt a little suspicious of his brother's behavior and was left to wonder what Donatello could have to say. Why just Shiho? They were mates now, Leo couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that they wanted to exclude him. Raph picked up on the irritated energy that Leo was radiating and waved his hand submissively.

"Don't worry, bro," Oh yeah, that really put rest to his raging suspicions. Settled his mind right on a bed of needles is what it did.

* * *

Splinter was quick to getting the boys back into their conditioning with the exception of Donatello. The other three sparred with each other and their sensei making sure to give Leonardo extra grief just to mess with him. While they all beat each other into green pulps, Donnie took Shiho by the hand into his room with his computer. Leo wasn't able to smother the twinge of jealousy that pricked at the back of his mind watching his mate being led away out of his sight. But when Splinter's staff smacked him in the backs of his thighs, he was forced back into concentration.

"This better be good, Donnie. You know how Leo gets," Shiho said, settling into a sit on Donnie's bed with her legs crossed Indian style. In her arms, she snuggled with one of his pillows as he sat beside her and opened up his laptop to the files they'd found the night before. Instantly, Shiho gulped and looked away.

"I snagged information from Marcus' database that night we came to save you. For the last few days and nights, there's been this creature following you that had Leo so wigged out he asked me to go and see what I could find. Do you want to tell me who Micah is?" Donnie's voice was calm, but inside he was bubbling with apprehension.

"So he _did _make it out. Micah he's…he's another hybrid who was born a few months after me. Marcus had this grand plan of making his own species, blah blah mad scientist stuff," Donnie looked at her, she knew that he knew more and was just waiting for her to come out with it. She hated how smart he was sometimes.

"And?" Heavily and dramatically, Shiho sighed and started.

"After I turned 16, Marcus tried to bond us so we'd mate. I wanted nothing to do with it and kept fighting with Micah. Marcus would often have to separate us because I apparently would get violent. The last attempt to make us bond was a few nights before the lab went up in flames, that was the last straw for Marcus I guess,"

Donnie rubbed his chin and curled his lips in thought.

"Why would Micah be following you then?" Shiho chuckled at that.

"Haha, well, Micah was more or less brainwashed into thinking he loves me. I guess it's taken him this long to find me, the fire was what…8 or 9 months ago. Now that he sees me with Leo, I imagine he's going to try and fight him and try again to mate with me. But, I'm Leo's mate now. I doubt he'd be very successful," Donnie felt instant ease knowing Shiho really wanted nothing to do with this Micah character and was dedicated to Leo. One mystery down, three to go. Donnie closed the window for Micah's file and opened up the last three. The girls.

"Okay, explain these then," First file up was Fiona. Shiho smiled in a way Donnie hadn't seen her yet, like she was being reunited with an old friend. She looked almost relieved to see the picture of her fellow hybrid. Fiona, just barely 21 years old with olive toned skin. Her round face was framed in loose red curls that obscured big, round hazel orbs. Like Shiho, tall orange ears reached above her head.

"Hm, Fiona. We called her Fifi. She's the second youngest. Like I said earlier, Marcus was trying to make a pack, like wolves, only with fox hybrids. I'd be surprised if she made it out of the fire, she's so soft spoken and timid. But she's a genius like you, it's amazing," The masked turtle chuckled and closed the window and opened the next.

"Ah, Saundra. Sandy, she's…she's a wild one. The only one of us who isn't a fox, but a gecko hybrid. Western banded gecko if I remember right. She's so hostile that it's terrifying. Out of all of us, she's also the only one who resembles her animal hybrid," Confused, Donnie opened her profile picture and boggled at the image. The hybrid was anthromorphic in her stature, like he and his brothers, only with pale, yellowed skin that was decorated in large brown spots. But she had the form of a female like Shiho, curvy and gorgeous. Her face looked like a gecko but her eyes were large and a deep honey brown, she even had a mop of dirty blonde hair. Long, like Shiho's and layered.

"She's…interesting,"

"Don't let her appearance fool you, Don. She's probably got a temper worse than Raphael's. The days that Marcus would pit us against each other, she'd use that thick tail of hers to her advantage and fought dirty. She beat the tar out of me once when Marcus infected me with a virus. We never really saw eye-to-eye," That file closed and Donnie sat back on his hands.

"You're all sounding more and more like us the more you go on. Only, you guys were made and we just happened," A dark brow arched and she shrugged, her grip on his pillow loosening.

"I guess you could say we are. We're the closest thing to a family that we'll ever have so I suppose you could say we're similar," Downstairs, she could hear the loud banter of the boys training. Echoing "Hi-YAHS!" reverberated on the walls of Donnie's room, making those ears open in curiosity. She wondered how Leo was fairing. The genius caught her rubbing the ugly bruises on her legs.

"Here, I've got some wild yam rub for those bruises. It helps with the ache," Donnie reached under his bed and pulled out a purple container. Shiho took it, interested, it smelled delicious. Inside was a thick white cream that looked like it had been used quite often. "I use it all the time when I get bruises. Just rub some between your hands and put it where you need it and the ache slowly goes away and the bruising doesn't last as long,"

Ears twitched and she did as he instructed, rubbing a small glob between her palms to warm it and applied it to those angry marks. It hurt to touch the bruises but after working the cream in, it started to work.

"Hey, not bad. Man, I could have used this stuff growing up. Mind if I keep this?" Donnie chuckled, he knew what she really meant. When your boyfriend was a mutant ninja with no control over his own strength, sex was a painful workout. He just nodded and waved the image out of his head. Closing the container and curling back up with Donnie's pillow, Shiho anxiously wiggled her tail. "So, anything else?"

"Yeah. The little one," Donnie sensed a sore chord had been struck when Shiho fell silent. This piqued his already overflowing curiosity to find out more. He nudged her leg with his knee to snap her out of whatever trance she'd fallen into.

"Huh?"

"What about the small hybrid?"

"Oh, Aanika," Clearing her throat, he could see this was difficult. "Nika is the youngest; she just turned 4 a few months ago. She doesn't talk but when Marcus would let us mingle, she clung to my leg and would scream whenever she was taken back to her cell. She's a sweet little thing, too. The mother who had given her up was an addict of heroin I think and sold her embryo to get her next fix,"

Already, Donnie had a bad taste in his mouth. The sad truth about humanity was people just flat out sucked. None of these hybrids were considered when their parents sold them as embryos, unable to voice their protest. By the solemn tone in the fox's voice, Donnie figured that Shiho had done what any other animal does to an abandoned infant and took her in as her own.

When he viewed Aanika's photo, a sudden pang of guilt turned his blood cold. She looked like any average 4 year old with large, beautiful blue eyes and messy brunette hair. Well, as average as any kid could get with tall fox ears like her hybrid counterparts.

"I can really only hope that my sisters did make it out. I mean, if Micah did, then maybe they did, too. Especially Nika," Donnie could see through that mask of strength that Shiho always seemed to put on. She was broken and cracked under the surface every day with the notion that the only family she probably ever knew was either dead or alive.

"Maybe they're all with Micah. But, you _have _to tell Leo about him before he shows up and it explodes. Leo is the leader; he's the one with all the answers it seems. But I can't really say for sure what he'd do now if his mate was threatened. That's something new,"

A sympathetic hand rested against Donatello's shoulder and he was greeted with a gentle smile. He couldn't explain the ease he felt when she looked at him like that, it certainly explained the effect she had on Leo.

"I know. It's not my intention to hurt your brother, Don. Because I do love him. I'll talk to him,"

"I'm counting on you, Shiho. To not destroy him from the inside out. Leo falls the hardest out of all of us," He said. He sighed heavily when she snaked her arms around his neck and gave him a squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. Her ear turned towards the doorway as footsteps approached.

"Shiho? What's going on in here?"

"Leo, darling. Nothing. Come on, rooftop. I gotta talk to you about something," Shiho jumped from the bed to the doorway and ran her fingers along his jaw. Watching her walk away was always something that made him bite into his lip for control. With a glance to his brother, Leo shrugged.

"Looks like I'm going topside. Keep an eye on things until I come back, Don. Make sure Mikey and Raph don't get into another fight," He said and Donnie couldn't stop the obnoxious laugh.

"HAH! Like anyone could ever stop those. But alright, go. We'll be waiting for you," Leo bumped fists with Donnie and took off after Shiho who was already making her way into the tunnels. Damn she moved fast. He couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy and nervous. Maybe she was having second thoughts about being mates and backing out…No, she wouldn't have agreed and then change her mind.

Shiho was a lot of things, but cruel wasn't one of them.

* * *

"Alright, Shiho. What's going on?" After a run through the sewers and up to the street followed by a race to their favorite rooftop, Leo stood near the edge to keep an eye on the buildings. He was still deeply bothered by the appearance of Micah, even more so that he knew nothing about him. Yet.

"Leo, it's about that hybrid you've seen following me," Faster than she could blink, Leo was in her face with his hands gripping her shoulders. The look in his eyes screamed desperation.

"How do you know you're being followed? Donnie tell you?"

"His name is Micah,"

"His? This hybrid is a male?" Already, that burn of jealousy was making his palms sweat and his brows furrow. Her hands clutched his biceps, something she always seemed to do when she was nervous. Leo honestly felt moisture prickling his eyes and panic fill his veins. "Shiho, talk to me,"

"Marcus wanted us to be a mated pair," She said. Leo's hands dropped and his face was going through a range of emotions that she couldn't keep up with. In his chest, his heart raced and his ears started to ring.

"You…already have a mate?"

"What? No! No, Leo listen. You're my mate. I never let Micah come near me, I'd fight with him whenever he tried. Leo, look at me, please," Both of her hands rested on the sides of his face and directed his gaze on her. She scrambled around in her brain to try and find the words to make him understand.

"I thought you were mine, Shiho. Now there's some other hybrid—who's just like you—out there trying to mate with you?" Shiho caught that. _Who's just like you_. What he really meant was _You can have kids with this guy._ It was with a sore heart that Shiho leaned him down and brought their foreheads together. Leo sank into her and closed his eyes, he wasn't about to look like a sissy and cry.

"Leo. I already told you last night that I want _you._ Micah disgusts me in more ways than I can count, because he's in allegiance with Marcus. I'm telling you this so you'll be ready, because I have no doubt that he's going to find me and try to take me back to Marcus to either have me taken apart or to bond," Leo clenched his hands into fists at the thought of the scientist madman. He growled quietly.

"You promise that there is nothing for me to worry about with this other hybrid, that you are still mine," Shiho nodded feverishly, thankful he was starting to understand. Leo crushed her against his plastron with his arms tightly around her waist.

"You're my mate, Leo. Don't let him take me from you,"

"Don't worry about that. But he's following you, am I going to have to fight him?" Shiho's fingers tangled in the tails of his billowing bandana. His grip tightened and lifted her against him.

"Maybe, and if he does choose to fight, I get the first swing," The ninja laughed against the skin on her neck, relief washed over him and crashed like a wave on the shore. The suspicions of that creature were at last put to rest. He'd fight for his vixen if it came down to it.

"But, Leo. There's still more. Not about Micah," Confused, the constricting hold he had on her tiny form released and they sat on the roof edge. Shiho told him then about the rest of the hybrid pack. Told him everything that she'd told Donatello because Leo couldn't be kept in the dark about her 'sisters' forever.

Leonardo was angry at first, but eventually it became clear why she'd kept them a secret for so long. She didn't bother saying anything because she didn't know if they were alive after the building had exploded and come down, that the possible outcome had been too painful for her to accept. But now, with the appearance of Micah, that smothered glimmer of hope that her laboratory family had survived was ignited once again. But what then?

If Shiho reunites with the other hybrids, where does that put him and his brothers? Would she leave and try to start a life of her own? Leo couldn't put to rest the conflicted thoughts that raced through his busy mind. Shiho wouldn't agree to be mates if she had plans of leaving. But that was before she knew any of them had made it out of course. This change in her life might make their bond obsolete if it meant reconnecting with the people who were like her in every way.

"Leo, are you worried?" Leo glanced up from the hard stare he'd had on the slow moving traffic on the street below. He'd been silent for a while and she fell into a pit of concern.

"Worried about what? Ow! Babe!" Shiho flicked him on the side of his head with a scowl.

"About what; about this. You're thinking that if my sisters are alive that I'm going to leave you, aren't you?" When he didn't answer, she forced him to look at her with a grip on his chin. The way he would often do to her. "Answer me, Leonardo,"

"Maybe! Nnng, I don't know. So many things keep changing faster than I can keep up with. I want you to stay with me forever, but not at the cost of your own happiness," He said. His thundering thoughts silenced when her arms slithered around his bicep and she nuzzled into the muscle.

"Don't be stupid. Just knowing if they made it would satisfy me. But no one, not even my sisters, can make me half as happy as you do. So I'm not going anywhere. I love you, Leo. Haven't you figured that out yet?" Annoyed with himself, Leo sighed. The weight of the situation lifted off his chest.

"Sorry. I know, I'm an idiot," She chuckled. "I love you, too, Fuzzball,"

* * *

**A/N: See? Nuetral! I'm working on my next chapter right now. Rest easy loves, turtle power is about to be demonstrated! I like playing into those protective instincts Leo always demonstrates with the ones he loves the most. I kind of enjoy making him out to be this jealous, overprotective boyfriend. What do you think? Eh?**


	15. She's A Screamer

**A/N: Smutsmutsmut. Sorry, couldn't help it! It came to me out of the blue and demanded that I type it out D: DON'T BE ANGRY DUCKIES! I did add a rise in conflict so it isn't all smut. You're being introduced to our new hybrids as they plot to get their own leader back. But enjoy!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

**Previously:**_"Leo_,_ are you worried?" Leo glanced up from the hard stare he'd had on the slow moving traffic on the street below. He'd been silent for a while and she fell into a pit of concern._

_"Worried about what? Ow! Babe!" Shiho flicked him on the side of his head with a scowl._

_"About what; about this. You're thinking that if my sisters are alive that I'm going to leave you, aren't you?" When he didn't answer, she forced him to look at her with a grip on his chin. The way he would often do to her. "Answer me, Leonardo,"_

_"Maybe! Nnng, I don't know. So many things keep changing faster than I can keep up with. I want you to stay with me forever, but not at the cost of your own happiness," He said. His thundering thoughts silenced when her arms slithered around his bicep and she nuzzled into the muscle._

_"Don't be stupid. Just knowing if they made it would satisfy me. But no one, not even my sisters, can make me half as happy as you do. So I'm not going anywhere. I love you, Leo. Haven't you figured that out yet?" Annoyed with himself, Leo sighed. The weight of the situation lifted off his chest._

_"Sorry. I know, I'm an idiot," She chuckled. "I love you, too, Fuzzball,"_

* * *

"Tch…I can't believe this. She's shacking up with some freak instead of looking for us," Micah snorted. He and the last of the hybrid mutations took refuge in an abandoned construction sight after the explosion and collapse of the laboratory they all called "Home." Though, it was never much of one, but it was all they had.

Up on the 26th floor of the unfinished building, Micah paced along the floor boards with his hands laced together behind his back and his tail twitching furiously in agitation. After finding his Shiho at last, he discovered she'd not only forgotten all about him but she was now acting indecent with that mutated thing. He couldn't imagine what she was thinking.

"She probably thinks we're all dead, Micah. We need to find her, maybe she'll let us stay with her," Fiona said. She was the most reasonable of the motley crew, trying her best to keep the peace among her sisters and brother. Not a single one of them were related, but they'd all known no other family other than each other and Marcus. It was always Shiho or Fiona who did the work for morale in the group when the experiments and tests became overbearing.

"She's the one who started the fire in the first place, Fiona! I say, we go down to her little turtle's nest and drag her out by the hair. It's her fault we're all homeless," Snarled Saundra. She sat with her long, reptilian legs dangling over the ledge of the floor. Her thick tail tapped at the tip to display her growing agitation. "It was always her fault for the things that Marcus did to us. When she wouldn't obey, he'd try it out on us instead."

"Knock it off; we aren't doing anything unless I say so. So the both of you, shut up," As the only male in the group, Micah took the leadership upon himself. In Fiona's lap, the smallest and youngest quivered at the sound of her siblings arguing. She missed Shiho something terrible, wondering when she was coming back.

"And who put you in charge, Micah? Marcus isn't here and neither is Shiho, you don't get to make all the decisions," The gecko hot head stood to her feet and began to chest up against Micah with a sneer. With a large hand, Micah snapped her snout shut and clamped down with his fingers.

"I said so. We aren't making a move until I get all of those turtles out in the open. Once I do, it'll be up to you and Fiona to take them out so we can grab her and run. They're ninjas and not easy opponents, understand?" In his grip, Saundra growled something sinister and glared daggers at the fox male. She hated being the second from the bottom. Roughly, Micah released his sister and left her to rub her scaly snout.

"How do we know if she even wants us to come back, Micah? You said yourself that she's awfully close with one of them," Fiona said, adjusting the toddler against her chest.

"Because, we're mates and I'm the male. She has to do what I tell her," Saundra snorted an obnoxious laugh.

"Yeah, okay Micah. Did Marcus hit you over the head with a tire iron during one of his experiments? Shiho is the oldest and you always do whatever she says. You think she's just going to sit idly by and watch her little freaks get beat down? It's like you've completely forgotten about The Madness," Micah growled in the pit of his chest with his canines clenched together. Saundra was getting out of line and not watching what she was saying.

"You better watch yourself, lizard. I have no conflicts with taking you down a few notches," Flustered, the gecko slammed her hands against Micah's chest with a childish grunt and stormed off to climb up a few floors to be alone. The male smirked in his added victory and turned back to stare at the skyscrapers of New York. Leaning against a steel beam his arms folded across his chest.

"Shiho is mine, Fiona. Make no mistake about it,"

"But you never mated with her. She just kept fighting with you until Marcus had to intervene with Maggie. She isn't going to go quietly, and you know it," His fist slammed into the beam and made it ring. Silently, the toddler cowered and hid beneath her sister's tail.

"I don't care. She. Is. Mine."

* * *

The turtles were hot and heavy in a weapon spar in the large room for working out. Donnie versus Mikey, and Leo versus Raph. So far, none of them were close to giving up. They were practicing dodging tactics and knocking their opponent down once they were out of the way.

Raphael brought his sai down to smash Leo in the head when he suddenly ducked and rolled to the left. The red masked turtle hesitated and howled in frustration when Leo kicked his legs out from under him and he landed on his shell. With a katana pointed between his brother's eyes, Leo smirked.

"Game, set, match. Looks like I win this round, Raph," Leo leaned down with his hand to help the fallen ninja to his feat. Once Raph had a hold on his hand, he tightened his grip and flipped his brother backwards over his head and pinned him down with a gasp.

"Not today, Leo!" Donnie and Mikey stopped their match and took the time to dramatically applaud Raphael in his victory.

"Woo! 9.95 Raphael, talk about sneaky, dudes," Mikey said, bumping fists with Donnie as he leaned on his bow staff. Exhausted, Raphael at last brought Leo up to his feet with a heave ho.

"No hard feelings, right bro?"

"Nah, I should have seen that one coming. Thank God Shiho wasn't here to see that, she'd never let me live it down," The four brothers all chuckled and nodded simultaneously. They gathered in a small circle to talk before they were all yelling and flat on their backs.

"WOAH!" Leo cried.

"Dudes…we just got owned by a girl…Again..."

"Mikey…please be quiet," Donnie grumbled as he stared at the ceiling, clearly embarrassed.

"What the-!" Raph gasped. Above his head, towered their vixen with a very satisfied grin on her pretty face. "Leo…looks like she was watchin' after all,"

"Hey, no fair, Babe! You said you were meditating!" Leo whined. She moved over the circle of sprawled out turtles and knelt by Leo's head. He slithered upwards to rest on her thighs.

"Tsk, tsk oh fearless leader. Isn't it you who's always saying to be aware of everything? Especially when you have a girl as sly and silent as a fox lurking behind every corner. I'm surprised, darling, you let you guard down," Collectively, his brothers all participated in a loud. "OOOOOH!"

"You just got burned, dude! Nice leg swipe, dudette. You're a natural,"

"Hahaaa, thanks Mike. Alright boys, pizza just got here so go wash up –HEY! Go wash up you disgusting beasts! DON'T SWEAT ON THE PIZZA!" She screamed. The turtles had scrambled to their feet and scurried out of the training room to their table in the kitchen. Towering tall at 7 boxes high was Pizza Bliss. Even her own mate had abandoned her at the beckoning of his favorite dish. Slapping a hand over her face and dragging it down, Shiho chuckled.

"Figures…" Shiho managed to get back up to her feet and find her boys sitting around the table, each with their own pizza box flipped open in front of them. She stood silently to watch them all interact and eat together as their lives were returning to normal. After Shiho had filled them all in about her little mutated family, things had gotten no less than uncomfortable whenever she walked into the room. Once they learned about Micah, they were wary about how long she was going to stay.

After a few nights of Leo locking his bedroom and the sounds that followed after, their fears were put to rest. It seemed their brother was a horn dog disguised as a ninja turtle and whenever he wasn't training or messing with his brothers, he was messing with Shiho in his own way. Despite the jokes they all made, the fox and the turtles finally felt at ease. Splinter took it upon himself to condition her with a few tricks in ninjitsu and meditation so she'd be able to handle herself without slipping into The Madness.

The master had come to rely on Shiho to keep them safe from the tortures of Marcus and his favorite hybrid, Magdalena. Knowing that they were a target after destroying the Shredder put the rat into deep discomfort for the safety of his sons. Shiho vowed that she'd never let the boys fall prey to the doings of Marcus or the wrath of Magdalena's claws. If there was a fight coming to them because of Shiho, she'd be the one to take the hit. The last thing she wanted now was for her new family to be destroyed in her place.

"Hey, come here, Fuzzball and eat. You haven't had a bite all day," Leo sat, patting his lap as he took a bite out of the slice he had folded in his right hand. Curling her tail upwards and flicking the tip, she pranced over and sat across Leo's thighs with her legs dangling over.

"Why do you guys keep calling me Fuzzball?! I'm not fuzzy!" She squeaked as Leo plopped a slice of the pepperoni pie onto a plate and set it in her hands. Taking a small bite, the brothers all laughed.

"Have you seen the way you sleep, sis?! You curl up with your tail and you look like this little orange, fuzzy ball. Fuzzball!" Raph explained, his mouth full of pizza. Shiho grimaced.

"Right…" She chewed slowly and giggled. Leo wrapped an arm firmly around her waist and brought her tight against his shell as he ate. Back and forth Donnie and Mikey bantered as he continued to brag about his Battle Nexus win.

"Uuugh, Mikey! That was like 8 years ago, are you EVER going to stop talking about that stupid tournament?" Donnie said, annoyed.

"Hahaha! You wish, Donatello! You're just made because you lost in the second round. And Raph will always be mad because I beat him,"

"It…was…a FLUKE!" Leo and Shiho sat back with their dinner and watched the three go at each other. This sort of entertainment never lost its value, especially when they threw crust at one another and tried to strangle throats.

"Behold, Shiho. My brave team of skilled and fearless ninja brothers," Leo said as Donnie and Raph tugged their younger brother over the back of his chair using the tails of his headband. Mikey landed with a loud thump.

"Oww…"

"Charming bunch they are," She whispered with a giggle as he nuzzled the back of her neck with his beak. She's put her long hair up into a ponytail, letting her violet bangs hang down and frame her face. The exposure of her slender neck was just begging for another set of bites.

"Not as charming as me, I invented charming. Shiho," She turned her gaze backwards towards him as he said her name. "Would you _eat_ woman? Are you sick?"

"Huh? OH! No, you guys have just ordered pizza for the last four days. I'm burnt out on it," From their scuffling dog pile on the floor, Leo's younger brothers gasped and gawked at her like she had a third eye in the middle of her forehead. Raising a brow and looking at them strangely, Shiho dropped her ears.

"What?"

"Dude! How can you be tired of pizza? Leo, tell your girlfriend she's crazy!" Mikey cried, his hands held behind his back by Raphael. Even Donnie froze in his daily womping of the youngest turtle.

"Really?! Boys, there is more to life than pizza," Leo threw his head back with laughter as the jaws of his brothers went slack and hit the floor. She took a victorious bite of her slice and forced herself to chew and swallow. With nothing else in the lair to eat except for leftover pizza and frozen pizza, Shiho's options were limited. Another few moments of awkward silence passed before Donnie and Raph continued Mikey's beating.

"Amazing, Donnie's a genius and still reverts to beating the tar out of Michelangelo after eating an entire pizza by himself. You boys…never get old." With the guide of his fingers pressing under her chin, Leo navigated those lips of hers down to his and pressed against them hungrily. As if his appetite couldn't be satisfied with pizza alone. Shiho chomped down on his lower lip and demanded he let her tongue slither past. After a contained yelp, Leo let up and dropped his jaw and tilted his head for a better angle.

Shiho's hands clenched at those marvelous muscles in Leo's arms as she shifted and straddled his lap with her legs on either sides of his thighs. His hands traveled their path up her exposed back through her halter top and down again to her rear beneath those fleece booty shorts. They ignored the sounds of the fighting turtles to their side and focused on the lewd slurping of saliva and tongues.

"Eww…dudes we EAT there! And you're making out at the dinner table with uneaten pizza," Mikey said. Leo didn't break his focus from kissing that delicious fox and pushed the unopened pizza boxes to the other side of the dinner table and tangled his fingers into that pony tail.

"Jeez Leo, you have a bedroom!" Said Raphael after catching the boxes as they almost slid off the table. It took every muscle in Leo's toned body to not clear the table of everything and throw her down on its surface and ravage the shit out of her until she was screaming. But of course, his brothers were home. He'd settle with his bed or the floor if he didn't make it that far.

"Bedroom?" Leo said as she'd broken the kiss to glare at his brothers. Her eyes glazed over the instant he'd said it.

"Bedroom." She agreed. Leo stood and tossed the vixen over his shoulder with a squeal from her. "LEO! What are you—"

"See you guys later! You can finish the pizza!" He said as he carried her off upstairs like some bagged prize. Shiho dangled and flinched when he smacked her right on the ass, her shorts had crawled up her flesh in her bent over position. He left a nice three fingered red hand print. Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo all exchanged creeped out glances.

"Sooo…Leo said we can have the rest of the pizza," Mikey said. Raph slapped his head. "OW!"

"Come on, Knucklehead. Shiho's a screamer, we're leaving," Mikey groaned as his brothers dragged him away from the remaining untouched pizza. As they got closer to the exit, they could already hear Shiho's giggles and high-tailed it out of the lair to hit the sewer pipes with their skateboards.

* * *

"Mmmm Leo I think they left," Shiho purred as her ninja was sliding off his knee and elbow pads. She was already undressed and laying in bed, patiently waiting. There was something deviously sexy about watching Leo take off his gear; she couldn't quite put her finger on it. The ninja gulped watching that vixen slide her right fingers from the valley of her cleavage down the front of her slim belly and settle between her legs. On her side, she lifted and bent her right leg at the knee to spread her tanned thighs for his viewing pleasure as the pads of her index and middle fingers caressed around her clitoris.

"Trying to seduce me?" Leo chuckled and got closer.

"Maybe, is it working? Oof!" She gasped as Leo grasped her firmly by the hips and pulled her to the edge of the bed. Over his shoulders he rested her thighs as he got down on his knees between her legs. He watched her belly rise and her ribcage expand and contract with her heavy breaths. "What are you doing?"

"Trying something. Lay back and shush, will ya?" He softly ordered. Shiho chewed her lip nervously but did as she was told. Leo removed her slender, elegant fingers from touching herself and replaced them with his thumb. Gingerly at first, his digit grazed those folds from bottom to top and rotated around her sensitive nub. Up and down he traced his thumb before spreading her velvet folds apart to open her moistened core. The scent of her arousal fill his nostrils, a sweet and musky smell that was Shiho; raw and exposed.

Shiho's eyes crossed as he blew a steady stream of air against her opened petals, a small and almost silent moan climbing her throat. The slow and careful slither of his tongue against her heated flesh nearly scared her as she sat up on her elbows to see what he was doing. When he greeted her with a glare that said _Lay your ass back down_ Shiho hesitantly went onto her back. Now that she subjugated, Leo mimicked the motion his thumb made earlier with his tongue, dragging his moistened muscle up and down the slit of her entrance. Shiho was writhing and rocking her hips as she rode his mouth and tongue.

Leo marveled at the way she tasted, so different than her kisses. This was a flavor that he couldn't wrap his mind around as he moved in to capture her trembling sex, his beak pressing into her clit as he nuzzled and slithered his tongue right inside her. The strange invasion brought with it an extreme arch of her spine and her hand to dive between her legs and grasp him by the mask. Leo's eyes closed as he licked her walls from side to side and up and down, making her nearly scream when he twirled his tongue around.

"Leo!...Th-…that's so…mmnn.." He didn't let her finish and pressed his tongue against the spongy roof of her core, dragging the tip along the sensitive ridges. He'd never done this before, but he had a feeling he was doing all the right things by the way she squirmed and squeezed his head between her beautiful thighs. He wrapped an arm around her leg to bring his thumb to her swollen numb and press and rub against it as he feasted on her.

"Ah yeah! I'm…I'm…!" His tongue hadn't been inside her for long, but the new experience hit her like a semi. He was greeted by his fox's climax as she yanked on the bandana tails and let loose a primal, erotic scream. "LEO!"

And there it was. With his tongue pressing roughly against her sweet spot and his teeth rubbing against her clit and folds, Shiho came in his mouth harder than she had before. Leo had never tasted anything as sweet as Shiho's release when it flowed over his tongue and seeped out of the corners of his mouth. He glanced up from his meal to see his vixen gripping the sheets in one hand and her mouth agape as she belted out heavy, panting breaths. Her brow beaded with sweat and her breasts heaved up and down with her chest. Her reaction was deeply satisfying as he sat up and wiped his mouth with back of his hand.

"Oh…m-..my God. Leo...WHERE did you learn that?" Shiho shifted higher into bed as Leo climbed on top of her and settled between her shaking thighs. He seemed to have a knack for making her tremble. A grin all too smug curled at his lips and exposed those perfect teeth of his.

"I asked Casey for some pointers to keep things fresh. You like it?" The glaze in those violet eyes faded and she answered him by forcing a hard and heavy kiss onto his mouth. Leo snickered against her lips and went on with his business.

"Bend over," He ordered. Shiho shuddered in delight; she hadn't even gotten the chance to work him into a stiff erection. Looks like she didn't have to, he was at full mast and rearing to go. After he sat up, Shiho flipped onto her belly and got down on her knees and forearms with her ass held up. "Good girl,"

With a hold on his shaft, Leo pressed the head between her moist folds and held her hips in the other hand. Her teeth sunk into her dark lip as she felt the spread in her mound from Leo's thickness and dragged her nails down the wall when he slammed into her with a grunt. "Ohh Leo…."

The lust-drunk ninja reached forward and freed her hair of the ponytail and wrapped his fingers in the strands while thrusting slowly up and forward into his vixen. Roughly, he yanked her by the hair until she rose up from her arms and onto her hands; he loved the control she gave to him when they went to bed like this. It fed into his dominant nature and made their love making intense and vigorous.

Sharp nails tore into the pillows as her fragile body jolted back and forth in Leo's powerful thumps against her behind; the head of his penis reaching so far inside that her lower belly bulged with each inward motion. He leaned forward and thrust into her like an animal, grunting and growling with every plunge. Leo could never harness any control and went at her with everything he had, it always left her practically screaming.

"Leo! Hah…hah!" His hand clamped around her mouth to silence her cries. Harder with an increase in speed, Leo thumped into her with a tighten of his jaw. Her voice muffled with hot moans against his hand as tears formed at the corners of her eyes. He'd come to notice this happened whenever she was overtaken in her primal desires and she was about to beg for more.

"You want it?...Ahh you want it?" He husked into the fur of her ear. His voice always dipped in tone and took up a raspy consistency that made her irresistibly wet. His slick shaft laid waste to her ridges and hot walls as she screamed into his hand, the muffled sound always drove him nuts. He felt her fleshy sex clamp around his thick penis as she was just about to release again. "Nuh-uh…mmn, you're not allowed to cum yet. Nng..beg for it,"

Shiho clenched her eyes shut and fought with her climax on the edge. Leo had recently taken on this new role in bed, something that turned her on to no possible end. It seemed that being a leader all these years turned him into a dominant beast when making sweet love to his vixen, and lately, he demanded that she scream 'Master' instead of his name. It made his dick twitch wildly whenever she climbed to her euphoric release and clenched him before bellowing out an erotic "Master!"

"I said beg for it, Shiho," He growled into the fox's ear as she mewled and jolted herself back into his thrusts. She was just flat out horny and was dead set on getting off. With her canines bared, Shiho turned her head sharply to the side before having it yanked back by his hand in her hair with a yelp. Leo's brothers would never believe that he was such a dominant male in the way he was now.

Leo jammed his length far into her depths and added a mind-numbing pressure behind it that brought to sit up on her knees. He shoved her back down by the shoulders and growled.

"No, bad girl," He hissed when her slick muscles clamped hard around his length and her hips wiggled from side to side. A groan rumbled deep in his chest as she defiantly rubbed her rear back and forth. He could hear her release coming in the hitch in her breathing but his hand twisted in her hair. "You heard me…"

With a shrill gasp and an arch in her spine, Shiho subjugated.

"M-..Master!" Twitch. "Ah p-please…I wanna cum, let me..!" Leo smirked and drew his hips back and dove right back inside with a deep grunt.

"Good girl," She took that as his blessing and unleashed her tightened muscles and dropped back down to her arms and squeezed her pillow with a bellowing cry. Once again, Shiho came and she saw thousands of colorful stars. Leo wasn't far behind her as her core constricted his rigid penis hard enough that he burst without warning. Slow, stead thrusts rolled inside her as he oozed his hot fluids into his vixen. "Good…girl…"

* * *

"Ah yeah! Totally tubular dudes!" Mikey wailed as he did a full rotation around the sewer pipe that he and his brothers had escaped to. Raph and Donnie clapped and rolled on over to him as he kicked the board up into his hands.

"So, it's been like…45 minutes. Think they're done?" He said as they started towards the lair. Donnie and Raph chuckled immaturely.

"Pretty sure. Come on, we gotta get back before Splinter finds out we're gone." Donnie said as he splashed through the water. Raph stopped for a moment and fell behind his laughing bothers, his gaze turned behind them down the dimly lit tunnel. He thought he'd heard the splashing of someone else.

"Hey Raph, you comin?" Mikey called back from far ahead. Raph tore his eyes away from the tunnel and rejoined his brothers but kept his senses open. "Dude, what is it?"

"Nothin, thought I heard something. Come on, let's get back," As the brothers disappeared down into the darkness of the tunnels, the bright glow of eyes crept through the shadows taking care to stay away from the water. The intense green glow focused on the retreating shells and moved forward slowly.

"Stay close, girls. We're moving in," Micah whispered and delicately as he could to his sisters. They clung close behind him, Saundra slithered silently with Fiona right behind her. The smallest, Aanika rode on her back.

"Now…let's go get Shiho…"

* * *

**A/N: So. Leo. Who knew he was that dominant eh? In my head, I picture him as this powerful lover with ever desire to be in absolute control. Maybe I'm a freak, I don't know. e-e But anywayyy! The hybrids decided! It is time to get her and follow her scent from April's apartment into the sewers to get herrr :3 Stay tuned, Duckies**


	16. Notice Me

**A/N: I tried adding a little more length to this chapter after a kind reviewer asked for longer chapters. Thank you for that input! I do keep a tight hold on how long I make my chapters, I have a habit of rambling a lot of nonsense and have the bad tendency to ramble on and on. So, that's why they're the length they are. But anywayyy, we are introduced to the other hybrids some more here. Enjoy!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

"_Hey Raph, you comin?" Mikey called back from far ahead. Raph tore his eyes away from the tunnel and rejoined his brothers but kept his senses open. "Dude, what is it?"_

"_Nothin, thought I heard something. Come on, let's get back," As the brothers disappeared down into the darkness of the tunnels, the bright glow of eyes crept through the shadows taking care to stay away from the water. The intense green glow focused on the retreating shells and moved forward slowly._

"_Stay close, girls. We're moving in," Micah whispered and delicately as he could to his sisters. They clung close behind him, Saundra slithered silently with Fiona right behind her. The smallest, Aanika rode on her back. _

"_Now…let's go get Shiho…"_

* * *

Donnie was the first turtle to rise in the morning, like always. He crawled out of bed and struggled to bring the focus to those honey-brown eyes behind the purple mask. After a refreshing rinse in the shower and a quick brushing of his teeth, he went on downstairs to fire up his computers and fix a cup of coffee. He was surprised to see the television turned on and tall fox ears twitching back and forth on the couch, so he poured two cups of coffee instead of just the one for himself.

"You're up early, Shiho," He said, coming around one end of the couch and handing over the hot mug with steam rising from the chestnut fluid inside. Shiho sat in her signature cross-legged position and gratefully reached up to retrieve the morning beverage and sat back against the cushions. She took a cautious sip and hummed from the bold taste.

"Mmm…good cup, Donnie. Yeah, Leo was restless last night and I didn't get much more than few hours. I've been up since about 5," Donnie looked at the time in the corner of the screen, she was watching the news. It was just after 7:15.

"Restless, huh? Sounds like you've got your hands full with him," They both took a long sip at the same time, the hot substance warming their insides as it went down. Shiho shrugged and tapped her nails against the mug.

"Sometimes. Nothing I can't handle. Sorry about last night," Another sip. "Mm. We didn't mean for it to get out of hand," Donnie chuckled and shook his head. He stretched his long right arm over the back of the couch and crossed his left foot over his knee. On the news, the anchor went on about some more robberies that were showing up in the Soho district, Shiho grumbled.

"Don't worry about it, we're pretty used to it now. Hey Shiho," Her left ear opened in his direction, her attention pulled from the screen to the coffee sipping turtle.

"Hm?"

"That small hybrid, Aanika," He glanced over, to see her focus had dropped into her half empty mug. "You aren't her mother are you?"

Both ears pricked up as she gave him a strange look, cock-eyed with her lip pulled up over one of her canines.

"What? No. No, she's a surrendered embryo like all of us. The only one who is related to me in any way is Maggie. Since well, she's a clone. Why?" Mug in both of her hands, she brought the porcelain to her lips for another sip.

"I dunno. I just notice the way your attitude changes when she's mentioned and not the others," Shiho polished off her drink and set the mug on the ottoman they used as a coffee table. Donnie really knew how to make a good batch of coffee.

"I guess it's because she's so young and defenseless. We were treated like prisoners and given time to 'exercise' for a few hours every day. Because she's the youngest, the others picked on her relentlessly. She doesn't talk, she just cowers and I guess I just take up for her," Donnie nodded and licked his lips of the coffee flavor. He was right in his hypothesis, that Shiho had naturally adopted the weakest member. It was something that happened every day in the animal kingdom, he just never guessed it was in a fox's nature to care about a weaker member not of its family. He imagined her humanity played a roll in her behavior.

"I see. I was just curious. What about that other one, Saundra?" Shiho chuckled and pulled the auburn hair off her shoulders and twisted it up into a loose bun at the base of her neck. Don rose a brow a tweaked a smile. "That bad huh?"

"I guess the way you could describe the energy between Sandy and I is to think of Raph and Leo. She just…never listened to me. I can't even count on both hands how many times she got physical with me," Donnie nodded, yep. Sounded just like Raphael and Leonardo. They were always butting heads and struggling with each other in one way or another, he found it oddly amusing to discover that Shiho had the same problem. He could just picture her frustrated face trying to deal with the gecko girl.

"Part of me thinks she's as, for lack of a better word, hotheaded as she is because she's the different one. I think Marcus got carried away with her, she'd fit in with you guys and blend easier than with the rest of us. But my God, she just…oh she makes me so mad," With the hand that was on the back of the sofa, he reached forward to muss up her hair and violet locks. He even gave the hilt of her ear a good rub.

"Siblings suck like that, sometimes. Raph has eased up on Leo, though. He still gives him a hard time when we go topside but for the most part, he's not nearly as bad as he used to be," Like the fox, Donnie tilted the mug back and finished off his morning kick. "Leo isn't as uptight either, but that's all thanks to you,"

He pointed at her chest.

"Me?" She asked, with a tilt in her head. Donnie found the coyness adorable and laughed when her ears twitched.

"You should have seen him before you came along. But, that's another story for another time. You hungry?...What's the matter?" He said, noticing her posture stiffen up and her attention dart towards the entrance to the lair. By the way she silently jumped over the couch and stayed low to the ground, Donnie imagined something was outside that she wanted to tear apart.

"Go get your brothers. We've got company," For a reason he couldn't understand Donnie felt his insides turn to ice when she'd said it. Just as silently as she had, Donnie took a leap over the couch and dashed upstairs to get his brothers out of bed. Out of all of them, Leonardo was the first one at her side before they all slowly gathered.

"What's so important you had to drag us—"

"Shh! Raphael, there's someone just outside. When you came home last night…did you notice anyone following you?" She said, keeping her eyes on the large door. Raphael exchanged glances with Michelangelo and Donatello before gulping. So, he _did _hear something last night and was now kicking himself for not investigating it. It could have been that blonde bitch after sniffing Shiho out and back for round two.

"Alright guys, stay behind me. Shiho, that means you. Donnie, open the door," Leo whispered. At his computer, Donatello accessed the door controls and made the lock open and the steel doors slid apart to reveal the darkness of the tunnels. Shiho's ears twitched furiously as she dashed between Leo's legs and towards the door. He made a mad scrambled for her tail but she was just too damn fast. "Shiho! What did I say?!"

Leo snapped his jaw shut when he noticed four pairs of eyes glowing in the darkness of the access tunnel. There was that menacing green he'd noticed before, with a set of bright grey, blue, and orange on the flanks. That deep, terrifying growl rumbled in Shiho's chest as the knuckles in her fingers cracked. Leo knew where this was going when he heard the footsteps walking into the lair.

"Hello, hello Shiho baby," Spoke a male as he stepped out of the shadows. Instantly, Shiho's guard dropped with her claws as she stood up straight with possibly the most annoyed expression any of the turtles had ever seen. "Don't look so happy to see me,"

"If I don't look happy to see _you_, Micah, it's because I'm not. I heard you've been following me," She said. Behind her, the brothers all firmly grasped their weapons as they watched her body language. Leo almost stepped forward when Micah approached his mate and they circled each other. They circled like lions sizing each other up and readying for a fight. He wasn't about to let this other male lay a finger on his mate. "What do you want?"

"To be together, of course. We are mates aren't we?" Despite how irritating and disgusting Micah was, he was still good looking. He was hoping he could use his sharp features and hypnotizing emerald eyes to lure Shiho into his grasp. But of course, Shiho could never find anything about the hybrid attractive.

"You only wish, Micah. I told you once; I've told you quite a few times actually, we are _not _mates. And quite unfortunately for you, I'm spoken for," Leo's chest broadened in his stance without him realizing it. The other hybrids that had followed with Micah were staring at his brothers like they were looking at monsters out of a horror film. Sensing the energy from her sisters, Shiho kept her eyes on Micah but paced towards Fiona.

"Shiho! I can't believe you're alive!" Beamed the soft-spoken fox. On her back, the tiny toddler stretched out her arms and Shiho fell to her knees. Leo watched as the youngster launched herself into Shiho's open embrace, his violet vixen squeezing her like she hadn't seen her in years. He felt that grip on his heart tug and squeeze when Shiho picked Aanika up and spun around without a word. Donnie found her behavior different, he always knew Shiho was deeply maternal, but to see it happening was something he enjoyed.

"Well, so this is where you've been hiding all this time. It was nice of you to come looking for us, Shiho. I can tell you missed us so much," Already, Saundra was starting as Shiho retreated back towards the turtles with the toddler in her arms. The youngster clutched at her cotton shirt with one hand and buried her face into the crook of her neck. Shiho's familiar scent instantly had a calming effect on her trembling and whimpering.

"Really? You're going to honestly fight with me now, Sandy?" Donnie and Mikey exchanged a glance, silently telling each other this looked familiar. Micah's spotlight had been stolen by the hothead reptile as she whipped her thick tail and thumped it on the ground. Raphael chuckled.

"I like her," He said, elbowing Donnie in the side.

"Who do you think you are, Shiho? You abandoned us after destroying the lab and didn't bother trying to find us. You were too busy with these freaks to give a damn, weren't you?" Shiho sighed heavily and turned towards her mate with an expression he couldn't read. He almost sputtered when she turned over the curled up toddler and plopped her in his arms.

"Wha—"

"Watch her. Raphael, back me up if it gets bad," All of them were confused when she cracked her neck and approached her reptilian sister. The gecko sneered and clenched her very sharp teeth together as the beautiful fox came closer.

"Say that again, Saundra. I dare you. You didn't come down here to reunite with me; you came down here to settle some non-existent score with me. You have something on your chest to say, now is the time. But I refuse to stand here and let you call my family and my mate freaks," There was a chill in her voice that made Leonardo and his brothers shudder. In his arms, the toddler squirmed and silently reached out for Shiho. He couldn't understand why she didn't speak. But watching Shiho get right in the gecko's face and stare her down had them all afraid a fight was about to break out.

"Here, kid," He said, pulling the tails of his bandana over his shoulder. Those little fingers tangled in the fabric and calmed her nerves. It surprised him that she wasn't screaming being in the arms of a giant turtle.

"Okay, Shiho. I've got something to say," Raphael's hands grazed over the hilt of his sai, he watched the tail of his vixen sister go rigid. It always went stiff when she was about to pounce. Where was Master Splinter?

"Then say it, if you aren't afraid to," Shiho taunted. In the midst of the tension, a loud tapping broke Shiho's focus and directed it to the shades of Splinter's meditation room. There he was with a firm and stern expression on his muzzle. "Splinter,"

"Oh great, there's _more_ freaks," Instantly, Shiho slapped her sister hard across the face. The contact made a loud THWAP that resonated through the lair's walls and ceilings. Leo and his brothers winced, they'd all been victims of Shiho's slaps at one point or another and they stung like a bitch. Sympathetically, they all rubbed their cheeks out of habit.

"How…dare you. Get out, Saundra. You are not welcome here. Micah, that means you, too." Shiho turned on her heel without giving her reptilian sister the opening she wanted to come up with a retort. The look on Splinter's face told her that he was proud she didn't launch herself into an unnecessary fight in his home. Even the turtles looked ready to rip her a new one, even Raphael.

"You may be a hottie, but no one disrespects Master Splinter, girlie. You're lucky he's here," He said. He couldn't help but notice she had just as many curves as Shiho but her anatomy was concealed beneath her yellow and spotted skin, she didn't see the need for clothes. The glare from Shiho brought his wandering eyes off the reptile and back to the toddler that tangled her hand up in the bandana tails of Leo's mask. Fiona had joined her older sister in retreating upstairs with the turtles.

"Wait! You can't just forget about us, Shiho. You can't just forget about me, I'm your mate God damn it! You _will _listen to me," Shiho froze with one foot on the steps. Leo closed his eyes and sighed. By the smile Shiho wore, this guy was about to learn what it meant to order a wild spirit like her around. As Fiona sat on the steps, he set the youngster beside her and went after Shiho who had turned around and was fast on Micah.

"You are not my mate, Micah! I'm not doing this with you, not now, not ever—Leo?" Her advance had been cut short with the blade of Leo's outstretched katana across her chest. He didn't look at her and moved forward without her.

"Shiho belongs to me. I am the one she chose to mate with and stay with. If you have a problem, you will take it up with me," Intrigued, a smile all too sinister came to Micah's face. So he had been right in guessing that Shiho went against what she was made for and chose this…thing over him.

"Gotta say, her taste hasn't improved much. You wanna fight me, Turtle Boy?" The point of his katana told Shiho to stay put. Splinter's paw on her shoulder told her to hold still, that Leo knew what he was doing. Her fingers touched the warm paw and squeezed it lightly.

"I really don't want to, because I'll make a mess. You think that because something was chosen for Shiho that it's what needs to happen. Shiho chose what she wanted, and that was me," Leo grunted and Micah jumped at him and collided with crossed katana. Straining against the strength of the male fox, Leo let lose a snarl that Shiho hadn't heard before as he launched Micah across the floor. He landed on his feet and came charging at the turtle with a battle cry.

"She's mine!" Leo ducked to the side as the fox swiped his sharp claws at his head, the nails shredding a piece of his bandana. The ninja knew what those claws were capable of, the scars on Donatello's shell were evidence of their power. But, Leo had over two decades of training under his belt and this fox didn't have the danger of falling into the Madness, his chances of winning were much better than against Shiho.

"Have you ever done this before?" He chuckled as Micah threw punches high and low, trying to knock him onto his shell. He jumped to avoid the swipe of the fox's foot in an attempt to get him to trip. Leo was just humoring the black fox and not even trying, just dodging and deflecting weak blows. He'd finally had enough tricks and jumped up to swing his foot around into the side of Micah's face.

"Ah!" Cried Micah as he flew across the enormous room and collided with the wall. He wiped his now split lip and spit. Leo wasn't going to advance on an opponent weaker than him. Shiho gasped when she was being charged by Saundra and shoved Splinter out of the line of fire and took the full force hit of the gecko body slamming her into the ground.

"Dammit! Raph!" Shiho cried before Saundra cold, scaly hands wrapped around her throat and squeezed, pressing her into the stone ground. Raphael took the cue and ran as fast as he could and knocked his shell into the reptile and sent her rolling off of Shiho who sat up and coughed. After dusting herself off, Shiho gave the turtle's hand a squeeze. "Thanks,"

"Anytime, sis. You got this?" Looking up at the steps to her younger sisters and then back at Raph, Shiho grinned.

"Yeah. You and Mikey keep an eye on those two. They can't fight," Her attention broke when Saundra came running at her screaming and spun around to knock her sister down with her thick tail. Shiho growled and caught the tail and threw her away from the stairs. "Leo! Are you okay?"

"Are you kidding? This guy doesn't live up to what Donnie found in the file. Woah! Haha, you're sneaky," Leo looked to be really enjoying his fight as Micah relentless came at him only to be pushed right back. When he dragged his nails against the ground, Leo saw sparks and hesitated. He knew it was a mistake when Micah grabbed him by the wrist and slammed him on the ground once he was distracted. Leo landed on his shell hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

"Eyes on me, Shiho," Saundra snarled, launching at her sister. Shiho caught her by the hands and they struggled and strained with each other's strength. They stalked in a circle, neither hybrid was willing to let go. "You always treated me like the ghost."

"What? You were always fighting with me, Saundra! You _never_ listened to me, ah!" The gecko twisted Shiho's wrists hard enough to make them crack. Rubbing her arm with a growl, Shiho charged and rammed her shoulder into her sister's middle and knocked her down. Like Saundra, Shiho wrapped her clawed fingers around her throat and pinned her hands right above her head as she sat and straddled the gecko's chest.

"Why should I?!"

"Because, Saundra! We're all each other had, and you fought with me every step of the way. What did I do to make you so angry!?" Raphael and Mikey stood guard over the weaker hybrids. Instantly, Raph knew where he'd heard this argument before and looked at his brother who was still clashing with that angry male. When Saundra wouldn't hold still, Shiho tightened her grip and made her wince and scream. "Answer me, Sandy!"

"Everyone loved you! Fiona, Aanika, Micah…even Marcus favored you! And I was always an after thought," The reptile choked under Shiho's grip. Shiho's sneer eased. "You're the oldest, the prettiest…look at me. I'm a monster,"

"I could use a little help over here! He's getting faster!" Leo called. Raph was the one to jump in and grab the male and put him in a tight choke hold. Leo pressed his hands against his thighs as he leaned over to catch his breath, his katana still clutched in his fists. That was Micah's trump card, the long he fought the faster he got. Noticing Shiho's attention was distracted, the gecko pried one of her hands free and punched Shiho right in the jaw and knocked her back.

"Even now! I can't get your undivided attention!" Leo dashed to his mate to bring her up to her feet. The glow in her eyes had him worried, she was close to the edge and held her tightly in his arms as she started to struggle. He glanced at Donnie, wondering if they might have to administer a sedative again.

"Hey look what I caught?" Raph joked. In his hold, Micah wiggled and writhed. But against Raphael's muscles, he was only tiring himself out. The dirty blonde gecko panted slowly and kept her glare on her sister who was fighting with herself. In her ear, Leo was whispering things she couldn't hear to keep his mate steady as she bit into her lip until it bled.

"You know, kid, maybe if you weren't so angry with yourself you'd let up on Shiho," Raph said. Saundra snapped her head to the side and bore angry brown eyes into him.

"And what makes you so smart?"

"Because I was the same way with Leo over there. We fought each other like you're doing here and almost destroyed each other. You tellin' me you want to hurt Shiho?" The fists that the reptile had her hands clenched into slowly released as Shiho was relaxing in Leo's tight grip. "Well?"

"No I don't wanna hurt her! I just want her to see me like the others. It's not my fault I look like this...this….lizard," The hold Leo had on his vixen's jaw let up as her muscles lost their rigid tightness and the Madness was fought off. His arms didn't let go, not yet. "And Shiho has a mate and friends. I'm stuck with Micah and those two."

"Hey! I'm right here you lizard!" Micah spat. Raph knocked his fist against his skull and Micah blacked out.

"Go to sleep, little guy. Jeez, he talks a lot doesn't he?" He said, as he let the fox down to the floor and dragged him to the steps.

"It's like you forgot about us, about me. Once you found these…these…"

"Turtles," Shiho said.

"Yeah, it's like we didn't exist anymore. Didn't you try finding us?" Leo's arms finally gave way and Shiho shook her head of the blurry vision. She tried to understand Saundra's inner turmoil but couldn't sympathize. After being taken away from the burning lab, all Shiho remembered was Leo. The boys. Splinter. April and Casey. All of these wonderful things happened to her after she thought she lost her sisters, it was only natural to forget.

"I didn't try because I thought you were dead. I was also unconscious when the building came down, I couldn't go back in and try to find you. Don't hate me, Saundra. You don't understand what it was like to be me, what you went through was summer camp compared to the things I suffered through. Don't blame me for wanting to forget, but I never forgot about you. You and Fiona and Aanika were all I had. Once I thought you were gone, there was nothing left for me. But Leo," She stopped to take her mate's hand and nuzzle his knuckles with her cheek.

"Leo made all that pain go away. All of them did. They made the nightmares stop and the monsters go away. I couldn't abandon them to look for someone I thought was dead, not after what they did for me. Not after Leo said he loves me, you don't turn your back on something like that to look for a ghost," Saundra opened her mouth to speak but snapped in shut when she couldn't find the words. She'd been angry with Shiho for so long that she didn't consider that her sister might have actually believed her dead. Sandy would have done the same thing when she thought about it, looking for what she believed a dead fox would have destroyed her. Shiho didn't look because she didn't want to stumble on dead bodies.

Shiho snorted a breath through her nose when Saundra looked away, she hoped the gecko was able to understand. There was no other way to explain herself. The ache in Shiho's twisted wrists started and crawled its way up her arms, making her grimace. Her brows knit together when she noticed Leo had a bloodied up lip from another lucky kick Micah had squeezed in. "Babe you're bleeding,"

"Dammit, woman, I'm okay," Leo said as she held his jaw to look at the cut. He grumbled, he hated the way she babied him.

"Look, Sandy. This," Shiho gestured to the turtles and Splinter with her hands. "This is my life now. You can either accept it and be a part of it, or you can leave. Because I'm not going to sit here and cater to your needs. You're grown up now and I can't hold you hand like I did when you were little,"

As if on cue, Aanika broke free of Fiona's grip and dashed down the stairs to Shiho and flung her arms around her neck after jumping into her arms. The fox chuckled and kissed her plump cheek. Saundra couldn't help but shudder when she felt Raphael's eyes on her, those dark yellow eyes behind the red mask. He seemed to be looking at her the way Leo was at Shiho and she immediately felt exposed.

"What are you staring at?" She said, Raph chuckled.

"Forgive me Shiho but your sister is hot," He said. Shiho just gave him a look as if to say _You're fucking nuts._ Across her thick snout, Sandra blushed and shook her head, layered blonde locks falling over her eyes. "I'll pay attention to ya if that's what you're after,"

"Raph, knock it off and help Don and Mike get Micah to the surface. I don't care where you leave him, but he can't stay here. I'll figure out what to do with these two eventually," The three brothers groaned and picked up the unconscious male by the limbs and made their way out of the lair. But not without verbally complaining loud enough for their fox to hear. "…babies,"

"Miss Shiho, I have come to accept you and your faults. I am sure my sons can do the same for your sisters. Until they are ready to leave, they may stay here," Leo and Shiho gawked at Splinter in disbelief. They were sure he was going to protest the other hybrids until he was blue in the face. The old rat chuckled dryly after getting a good look at their faces. "But there is to be no fighting amongst each other. This is a home of harmony and respect. I have no qualms with disciplining anyone who breaks that rule."

His raven eyes glinted down at the gecko hybrid and she sheepishly looked away. Saundra felt foolish and embarrassed that she'd thought she could take on Shiho with a team of ninjas who could back her up. But she still couldn't extinguish that fire that burned inside her, that jealous flame that had been burning for the last 20 years. It was going to take more practice and patience than she possessed. But at the risk of being alone or being stuck with Micah, Saundra swallowed her pride and nodded.

"Good. Now, about the young one?" His snout pointed at the quivering toddler that was tucked under Shiho's chin. Shiho knew what he was asking and was more than happy to agree. Any training that Splinter could pass to the toddler would only benefit her in the long run. There was no doubt in Shiho's mind that Micah was going to sniff out Magdalena and Marcus and come back with a vengeance, making sure the youngest had the capacity to defend herself would relieve one more worry in the back of her mind.

"Yeah. When she opens up you can start," Slender fingers coursed through the messy mop of brunette hair and silenced the quiet whimpers. Leo noticed that strong maternal vibe that was coming off his mate and sensed a solution to his problem. "Fifi, thanks for watching her."

"You know me, Shiho. She still won't talk though. Saundra and Micah's constant fighting made her a ball of anxiety," Violet eyes darted to that gecko hybrid as she moved across the room to settle on the couch.

"Why doesn't that surprise me? Anyway. This is Leonardo…my mate," Shiho paused to wink at her handsome ninja. The little flirt brought a grin to his face. "And his master and father, Splinter. Leo found me the night the lab came down and brought me here. You can figure the rest out," Her sisters joined her in front of the television as Leo and Splinter stood still on the stairs. Behind the blue mask, Leo kept his eyes fixated on his mate.

"You are thinking of raising the little one with Shiho," Leo sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Splinter could read him like an open book. The ninja sat on the stone steps beside his father and clasped his hands together.

"Maybe. I can't give her any offspring, just seems like the only answer," His focus was broken by Splinter's paw on the top of his head. A gesture he often did when he showed that he understood what his sons were trying to say.

"I will say this, Leonardo. Parenthood does not come without its hardships. You are always worried that your child will get hurt or into some trouble. And when they grow up, you fret over wondering if you did well enough in raising them," Leo smiled.

"You did a great job, Sensei. I think what I'm most worried about is that Micah guy," The paw on the dome of his head pat the skin and returned to Splinter. The sisters gabbed about anything and everything, Leo couldn't really hear. But he could see the smile on Shiho's face now that she had her family in her sight, even that angry gecko. Their fight seemed to be dust under the rug between them.

"Everything will fall into place. Our focus now, is keeping these new members aware that we hide in shadow. We cannot afford to breach the surface and have our location given away to Shiho's creator," Leo curled his lips and nodded. Shiho leaned over the couch and waved for him to come join with a grin on her pretty face. He could get used to seeing that type of smile, he hadn't seen it before. Splinter politely dismissed his son and went back to his study to meditate.

All of this excitement before 9am. He was getting too old for this.

* * *

**A/N: Well? I hope I didn't make this too cheesy e-e. Really. My Saundra is a hot head like Raph, but she's worse...she's female. Hahah and the only one who's different. Leo is touching in on the strong maternal instincts Shiho has and decides to try his hand at being a parent. Yes, Micah is a big pansy compared to the turtles. He's supposed to be. :)**


	17. Ready?

**A/N: Okay, so I'm struggling with the plateau of my story here e-e. I'm trying to not ramble on and on with random nonsense. So, essentially, this is another chapter with some downtime for the turtles and hybrids, hopefully I accomplished that sort of vibe. That relaxed and "Ahhh..." feeling. Be nice with your reviews? ; ~ ; I'm tryin here!  
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**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

"_I will say this, Leonardo. Parenthood does not come without its hardships. You are always worried that your child will get hurt or into some trouble. And when they grow up, you fret over wondering if you did well enough in raising them," Leo smiled. _

"_You did a great job, Sensei. I think what I'm most worried about is that Micah guy," The paw on the dome of his head pat the skin and returned to Splinter. The sisters gabbed about anything and everything, Leo couldn't really hear. But he could see the smile on Shiho's face now that she had her family in her sight, even that angry gecko. Their fight seemed to be dust under the rug between them._

"_Everything will fall into place. Our focus now, is keeping these new members aware that we hide in shadow. We cannot afford to breach the surface and have our location given away to Shiho's creator," Leo curled his lips and nodded. Shiho leaned over the couch and waved for him to come join with a grin on her pretty face. He could get used to seeing that type of smile, he hadn't seen it before. Splinter politely dismissed his son and went back to his study to meditate._

_All of this excitement before 9am. He was getting too old for this._

* * *

The first week for the turtles, even Shiho, was the hardest with the new sisters. Adjusting life to having three more hybrids hiding out in the lair was enough to make the mutants rip their masks off and rage quit. The only benefit, at least in Leo's mind, was there were at last no more secrets about Shiho that he had to discover. She was finally the open book that he'd been trying to get through for almost a year, her pages weathered and torn in places from where he'd try to over analyze and re-read her life and demons.

Getting used to a room full of girls wasn't difficult for Michelangelo. Fiona, Saundra, and Aanika all shared the same room to keep the lair as normal as possible. All too often the oldest hybrid had to drag the ninja by the bandana tails away from peeking inside when Fiona was changing clothes. The atmosphere felt whole again, like the girls were what the place was missing to really give it a completed vibe.

Shiho and her sisters had jumped onto the support beams of the work-out room while the boys practiced. On the side in Splinter's lap sat the youngest hybrid as he spoke to her of the techniques and energies of ninjitsu, pointing out small things that his sons were doing that he'd eventually teach her as she grew up. In the darkness of the ceiling, Shiho smiled as she watched the silent one clap her small hands and point at Leonardo as he jumped, kicked, and struck the practice dummies with one or both of his katanas. Beside her to the left, Saundra's snout bared sharp teeth in her smile.

"I'm starting to get what makes you so crazy about him," She said, nudging the oldest in the ribs. Tall ears opened as Shiho glanced at the gecko.

"What do you mean?" Shiho's confusion deepened when her reptilian sister sighed and rested her elbow on her thigh with her chin in her palm. She looked star struck, Shiho couldn't understand why until she followed that intense honey gaze to the turtles below. To one turtle in particular; Raphael. Shiho's smug little smile curved her dark lips as she started to get the gist.

"Ahh, you like Raphael. Which is….surprising," Shiho chuckled with Fiona as they noticed a pink blush spread itself across Saundra's spotted snout. "It's not so strange after all, huh?"

"It's those muscles!" Saundra hissed sharply which made her sisters giggle and snort in response. "Stop laughing!"

"Hahahaha, oh Sandy. You've got it _bad_ for Raphie. Soon you'll be swooning over his hothead self the way I did over Leo," Shiho wiped the tear out of the corner of her eye that had formed in her laughter. Her shoulders still shook from little chuckles, but her teasing had come to its end. For now, at least. Knowing that Saundra was getting sweet on Raphael was too rich to not poke at.

"How did you even find yourself attracted to Leo in the first place, Shiho? I mean, you had to have noticed he was a giant turtle at first glance," Fiona said, busily braiding her straightened fiery red hair. Shiho braced the support beam and leaned forward as she watched her mate work himself into a gleaming sweat. Her expression softened as her canine sunk into her lip, a girlish smile forming. Leo still gave her as many butterflies in her belly as he did in the beginning, Shiho just couldn't understand what it was about him that made her so weak.

"I screamed actually after I regained consciousness. I mean, I wake up in this strange place with a turtle man staring me in the face. Then in came this enormous rat and more turtles. Heh, I pissed off Raphael at first, so he left," Shiho had caught Leonardo's attention, he felt her heavy gaze on him and winked at her. More tingles. "But, he was nice to me. He showed me more compassion than Marcus ever did and I guess I just got attached. Over time I just started noticing how bodaciously fit he was, and charming, and sweet—"

"Alright, alright. He was a real Casanova, we get it. So it's been a real fairy tale since you guys met huh?" Saundra said, interjecting and earning herself a glowing violet glare in response. Shiho hated when she was interrupted, a habit that Saundra had never been able to break.

"Actually, no. Things got bumpy after the Madness was brought out for the first time. This kid got kidnapped by some members of the Purple Dragons and I lost control. Made a meal out of a gangster's spine. I left and was gone for like a month," Shiho's nails tapped at the steel as she watched Splinter showing the youngster how to stand. Leo was knelt behind her using his hands to guide her with his father's instruction, the scene below made her stomach flutter with more intensity.

"Where'd you go? You can't exactly blend in with the city people," Fiona said. Her long braid hung over her shoulder as a few strands hung in her face, un-straightened. The red-headed fox kept her gaze fixated on Donatello as she listened.

"Micah says she was a stripper,"

"Saundra!"

"What?! He was following you for months trying to get a hold of you and he noticed the new club go up and you go in every day for what, three weeks?" Shiho didn't look amused; it was frustrating enough that Micah was tailing her like he owned her.

"Really? A stripper?" The redhead said. Shiho sighed, exasperated.

"Yeah, yeah. Leo found me and brought me back, though. Kept the outfits I wore at his request," The two younger sisters giggled and leaned over to look at each other across Shiho's legs. She felt compelled to push them off the beam, but that would interrupt practice.

"So…how does it work?" Saundra pushed on. She caught those glowing violet eyes roll around in Shiho's skull before her head slumped down. "Oh come on, now I _have_ to know,"

"You really don't. It isn't as complicated as you think it is, Sandy. They're mutated, their anatomy is more human than anything," Shiho felt the heat in her face. She caught her mind pulling up that memory of that first night with Leo, that first time. Her lips curled and her nails scratched at the back of her head while her thighs pressed and rubbed together. Fiona noticed the change in her sister's body language and had to look away, she couldn't imagine Shiho doing something like _that. _

"Interesting…did it hurt?"

"Ack! You know, let's talk about something else. I'm not going to participate in Scandalous Storytime with you, that's private. And that's how it'll stay," Shiho was firm, what happened between her and Leo was strictly their business. It was bad enough that his brothers were constantly trying to hide cameras in his room. Shiho shook her head and brought her focus back down to her working mate.

"Tell me about, Donnie," Fiona said sheepishly, hiding her own blush. Looks like Shiho wasn't the only one with the hots for a mutant turtle. She couldn't blame her sisters, the boys were something to admire. She went on gossiping high in the rafters with her sisters until the end of practice.

"You comin' down?" Leo called up to his mate, holding his arms open. He was panting slightly and sweating around the mask, beads rolling down his neck. She loved the way he looked after a good work out, his skin became moist and the veins in his muscles stood out more. Shiho glanced between her two sisters and shrugged with a smile before leaping down. The two gasped and reached out for her and scowled when Leo caught her, they hated when she scared them like that. "Hey,"

"Hey yourself, Handsome," Shiho flirted, giving him a cheeky wink. "How'd she do?"

Leo set his vixen on her tiny feet as her sisters jumped down and chased after the other three turtles. That gecko was hot on Raphael's tail and pounced on him from behind, making him roll with her clinging to his shell. Fiona on the other hand, she hung onto the bend in Donnie's elbow as he went on about some book he read to impress her. Shiho's bright eyes rolled in annoyance when her leg was clutched, tiny arms wrapping around her thigh.

"She's getting it. Splinter says she's a fast learner," Shiho's hand reached down to caress the young one's hair and ears, tucking strands out of her face. Leo wasn't able to stop his own hand from petting Aanika's head. He found himself surprised when she leaned into his palm.

"Guess she's starting to like you." Shiho said and knelt down beside the little fox. Brushing brunette bangs out of giant, blue eyes the vixen nuzzled her plump cheek. "You like Leo? Hmm?"

Shiho noticed the toddler struggling with something, her lips twisted and trembled as her brows furrowed together. Leo came down on one knee in front of the youngster and glanced between her and Shiho. It finally came to the vixen…she was trying to talk. Her heart thumped in her chest as the child fought to make words form, concentrating hard to find the right thing to say.

"Leo she's…" Shiho was awestruck, unable to finish a coherent sentence watching her young one make tiny grunts and clench her small hands into fists. Her mate placed his hand against her shoulder and gave it a squeeze, still waiting patiently. "What are you trying to say, Pumpkin?"

Short arms outstretched and wrapped around Leo's neck as Aanika stepped forward and embraced him. She knew where his ear was on his head and pressed her cheek against his and started to mumble. She'd never spoken before now, he imagined trying to use her tongue and lips to form the words was harder than it must have appeared.

"L-Leo…D-…" She stopped, her voice was mousy, and high in pitch. Shiho's hands covered her mouth, hearing Aanika's voice for the first time overwhelmed her more than she imagined it would. Leo gawked at his mate with wide eyes, his arm tucked around the toddler as he stood up.

"What about Leo, baby?" Shiho urged softly. Her little butt sat against Leo's forearm as he held her up against his plastron. In her fingers, she twisted his bandana tails. Shiho almost couldn't bare the suspense and tried her best to harness her racing pulse. Aanika pointed with a stubby finger into Leo's chest and then pointed to herself. "Leo is…yours?"

Shiho's dark brow arched curiously when her little head nodded furiously. Leo gulped; he didn't quite understand what that meant. Stepping to his side to look at the toddler in the face, Shiho placed her hands against his bicep.

"Like, Uncle Leo?" Shiho guessed. Aanika shook her head to disagree. Violet eyes widened and pooled at the bottom lid with tears. "Oh Aanika…you think Leo is your dad…don't you, Baby?"

Aanika grinned and nodded, stilling pointing between herself and the ninja as Shiho put the pieces of her unspoken puzzle together. Leo almost stumbled and dropped the toddler and caught her before she tumbled out of his arms. It became abundantly clear to him that Shiho had more of an influence on the toddler than he anticipated, more so her ability to ignore the obvious difference between herself and him. He absolutely loved her.

"Is that true, kid?" Leo asked. A small hand thumped him on the snout as if to say _Of course!_ Leo rubbed his nose and chuckled. He was more elated than he was showing, Shiho on the other hand was in tears.

"Oh Leo…I guess she figured it out on her own. It's amazing," Shiho pressed a kiss to Aanika's temple and ran her fingers through the fine strands of her hair. Never in her life had she imagined that she'd hear Aanika talk, let alone claim another male as her parent. She'd come so far since getting out of the lab. Shiho's moment was broken when she heard the obnoxious growling of the toddler's stomach.

"Pizza!" She yelped and wiggled until Leo let her down and she hit the ground running towards the smell of dinner. Shiho didn't even get the chance to relish in the excitement of Aanika saying another word when she realized what it was that she'd said. Her face fall into an expression of irritation.

"Pizza…Michelangelo," She muttered. Leo's arm came tightly around her waist and crushed her against his front. With one hand, he dug his fingers into her long hair and leaned her head back. Shiho whimpered when he kissed her deeply, her arms coming around his neck and one of her small feet rising like some damsel. She knew what it meant when he kissed her like this, he hadn't words to express what he was feeling and chose to show it instead.

"She said my name," He said at last, nuzzling his beak against her neck and holding her tight. Leo hadn't let on just how badly he wanted that kid to let him in the way she did Shiho and now that she did, he just didn't know what to think. After struggling to get him out of his comfort spot, Shiho touched their foreheads together and gave him that smile that made his skin tingle.

"Ready?" She said. Leo chuckled; he'd said that to her with everything new they did together. It was ironic hearing her say it this time.

"Nope," He joked and kissed her nose. Was anyone ever really ready to be a parent? Leo didn't think so, there was no one who ever was actually ready. Things like this just fell into the laps of parents everywhere like he and his brothers had with Splinter. Living with Shiho brought with it limitless possibilities, this being one of them. Leo could have gone his entire life without ever knowing what it felt like to be needed and loved until she came along.

Leonardo didn't want to let any of this go. His mind instantly flashed to the face of Marcus and that evil little clone of Shiho's and anger bubbled in his veins. Micah was an obstacle he didn't seem to need to worry about anymore. That scientist had the potential to snuff out his happiness like the cherry of a cigarette and he'd go down fighting to keep that glow around him. Now that Aanika had chosen Leo to join Shiho in being parents, Leo felt his sense of duty and desire to protect grow.

"Hey! If you wanna eat you better hurry up and come get some!" Saundra's voice screeching into the training room brought the mates down from their cloud and they walked hand in hand to stake a claim on whatever pizza was left before Michelangelo devoured it all.

* * *

"Well, well, well! Look at what we have here, Daddy!" Squealed that obnoxious blonde clone. Already Micah was regretting sniffing out the scientist after snooping around in archives and on the internet. He stood in the doorway of Marcus' laboratory with a disheveled appearance; messy and unkempt hair, dirty clothes, scuffed up shoes, and a tangled tail. Magdalena leaned forward on one of the counters with her cleavage pressing impossibly together as she ogled at the otherwise handsome fox. "Look who showed up, Daddy!"

"Micah. Judging by your…attire, I'm guessing you travelled here by foot?" When Micah didn't answer, Marcus clicked his tongue against his teeth and chuckled as he leaned back in one of the chairs in front of a microscope. In his fingers he twirled a pen, like he was some sort of drummer. Wannabe."Did you find little Shiho?"

"You told me that she was _my_ mate. I went into her little turtle hideout with the others to find out that she's mated with one of them," Micah snapped. He felt almost foolish by the way the bubbly blonde giggled and approached him with a slow, cat-like gait.

"Oh, Micah. You shouldn't waste your energy on a girl like, Shiho. Why not focus on me? I look just like her, only I'm better," The tone of her voice made his skin crawl for reasons he couldn't fathom. She had Shiho's face but she was so different it was painful. The feet that Marcus had crossed on the counter moved back to the floor as he stood and shoved his hands into his pockets, making a steady advance on the boy he'd made.

"No, I never said that. Shiho protested and fought me every step of the way and ultimately was going to do what she wanted. I only want her now so I can get rid of those creatures and then dispose of her at last," Micah's green optics widened in slight horror, he always knew that Marcus was a lunatic but never grasped the whole concept. His maker held up a hand and gestured for him to come forward and have a seat.

"Come, we have lots to talk about, son. Starting with those turtles. Tell me everything you know, Micah. Let's begin with where they are," Marcus chuckled darkly.

Marcus was going to have his ultimate revenge one way or another. If he took out both Shiho and those turtles in the same trip, he'd have himself a drink.

* * *

Another few weeks had come and gone in the lair and the turtles and hybrids were starting to find their rhythms and harmonies. After hearing the youngster speak Leo's name, her sisters tried desperately to get her to utter more words by chasing her around the lair. She hid away in Donatello's work shop under one of his desks after slipping between his legs. He was in the middle of putting together another Shell Cell after Michelangelo crushed his own while riding Leo's scooter. Well, after he stole it and rode it in the tunnels. First Leo was furious that his recreational ride was in Mikey's care and then Don was livid that he'd destroyed a third cell. He was getting fed up with making more gadgets for his clumsy brother.

"Woah! H-hey!" Donnie ducked down to look under the desk and was greeted by the bright blue glow of Aanika's eyes. She held her finger up to her lips and shushed him.

"Shh! Sisters!" She whispered. She was still only getting out words and not actual sentences and phrases yet. Raphael called her Cave Baby. Shiho didn't find it funny and smacked him in the face whenever he said it. Donnie chuckled and mimicked the little one by bringing his finger to his lips.

"Hey dude, where's the mini dudette? I just got my new Silver Sentry comic and I just know she's dying to dig in with me," Mikey said as he pranced on inside. Donnie grumbled something about knocking and pointed under his desk. "Mini dudette! Come out, come out wherever you are!"

"Shh! Sisters!" She crawled out on her hands and knees from under the desk and between Donnie's ankles. Mikey winked and gestured for her to come to him. He knew her sisters were tucked away in their room, hiding from Splinter and their training.

"Come on, I know where we can hide," Along the floor she scuttled along in a crawl, staying low in case her sisters came by the door. "Look at you, crawlin' like a little ninja,"

"You should see her when practicing with Sensei. He's all super proud and junk. Who would have thought Master Splinter would have a grandkid to gush over," Donnie said, sparks flying from his desk as he continued assembling the new gadget. The little fox crawled up into Michelangelo's arms and curled up in the process to hide herself even more. He giggled when her small ears twitched. "It's like you have a pet, Mikey,"

"Shh! Mama!" She whispered again, ducking under Mikey's chin. A finger tapped on his shoulder and he squealed like a little girl, a sound that never got old to Shiho's ears.

"Yeah, I see you hiding on your uncle, Missy. Bathtub, get." Shiho pointed down one of the halls as she witnessed Aanika clutching at the turtle. "You can thank your uncles for dragging you through the sewer later. Go get in the tub,"

"Aww Mama…" Aanika sounded so broken hearted when she dropped to the floor and trudged off to the bathroom like a prisoner going to the gallows. The turtles chuckled in her retreat.

"Jeez, sis. Since when did you become a master of ninja silence? Nearly gave me a heart attack!" Mikey wailed. Shiho only raised a bemused eyebrow.

"You're lucky I don't wax you and Raphael for taking her skateboarding in the sewer tunnels. It just rained and she stinks. I have half a mind to make you give her a bath," When Mikey flinched, Shiho smirked.

"Ohhh my God would you get out?! I'm trying to work here!" Donnie ninja kicked them both out of his workshop and slammed the door. It always made his shell crawl when there was too much noise in his space when he was trying to get something done after Mikey destroyed something else. Down the hall, he heard Aanika scream as Shiho dunked her into the bathtub.

Leo leaned against the closed bathroom door as a guard while watching Shiho scrub at the toddler who was trying to play dead. Her limbs went limp and her head rolled about when the fox tried to wash her hair. Getting the kid clean was a mission all on its own that no ninja training could prepare him for. But Shiho seemed to have a knack for getting it all done in less than 15 minutes so she could sit back on the toilet after Aanika gave up and gave in. Her wet, brown hair was pulled back into a pony tail as she played with her bathtoys; gifts from April and Casey after one of their visits.

"Hey, stop splashing, Nika. You're soaking the floor," Leo said, moving away from the door to lay a towel on the tiled floor. The kid made a wet mess whenever she was in the tub, sloshing water with her pink submarine and purple octopus. The two toys in her hands sunk the other half dozen plastic toys. She never said much but made plenty of action noises to go along with her playing. She smashed them both under the water and made another large splash. "Aanika!"

"Aww Daddy…" She said with a pout.

"Hey don't give me that face. Shiho make her stop before I lose!" Big sky blue eyes grew even bigger as she puckered her bottom lip, those ears going flat against her head in the process.

"Aanika, no pouting. You know better than that, Missy," Shiho leaned back on the toilet with her arms folded and her legs crossed. Leo yawned and rubbed the back of his neck like it was sore. Splinter had been working him harder the last few days it seemed, to set an example for Aanika. She hadn't seen him this tired in a long time and raised a bubble of concern. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'd be even better if I got one of those massages out of you," He was rather enjoying this whole parenting thing, it made life seem a little less daunting when he had something to keep him busy like Aanika. After years of battling with a dark being like the Shredder and constantly being tossed into dozens of different dimensions and planets, bathtime with a 4 year old seemed like a nice summer stroll. Especially after she was clean and worn out, she'd pass out in his lap while watching a show or two with the family.

"You lush. But I suppose I can squeeze you in between appointments," Shiho snickered. His toes tapped her in the shin to shut her up. Aanika reached out of the tub and smacked him on the thigh with a wet hand. Her little palm made contact with a wet THWAP!

"Ow!"

"Bad Daddy," Shiho bust up laughing and was nearly in tears as Leo just stood without a shred of dignity. He was just sucker slapped by a child and it actually stung. She got that stinging power from watching Shiho, she must have. No one hit harder than the fox. Leo grumbled and picked the small fox up out of the water under her arms and tossed her into Shiho's lap.

"Leo! She's wet!"

"Yeah! Who's laughing now?! Ow! Aanika, stop hitting me!" Both foxes glared at the turtle as he held his sides in laughter and handed his mate one of the towels from the cabinet. Shiho wrapped the toddler up and carried her away over her shoulder. Her hand pulled back and slapped him across the bicep with the entirety of her palm. Like Michelangelo, Leo squealed like a little bitch and darted out the door before his mate could catch him and beat the green out of him for soaking her clothes.

"Lousy turtle…" Shiho grumbled as she made her way down to dress the youngster.

"Bad Daddy?"

"You better believe it, Kid. Super bad Daddy, so bad."

Leo joined his brothers around the television, the sisters were nowhere to be found tonight. They imagined they were both up in their room gossiping about which one of them was the cutest, or at least, that's what Mikey was thinking. They all relaxed in their usual spots and settled in with one of Mikey's stupid superhero shows, but they didn't care enough to make him change the channel. Leo leaned against the cushions with one of his legs stretched out in front of his on the ottoman before his head was grabbed and snapped back.

"H-Hey!"

"Leonardo, you little putz." Hovering above him was his mate, his very irritated mate. Nervously, he chuckled and faintly gave her a little wave of his hand. His brothers all held in their laughter and snickered like idiots.

"My money is on the girl," Mikey said to Raph.

"Hehe, you are so on," The tapped knuckles and observed Shiho grab both of Leo's cheeks at the corners of his mouth and give them an enormous stretch. His arms and legs flailed as he tried to get the fox off his face, wailing in the process.

"You wanna dump a wet kid on me, huh?! I'll give you somethin' to laugh about, Chucklehead!" She pulled a little harder.

"Owww! Okay! Okay! I give! I give! I'm thorry! (sorry)" Raphael grunted and handed over his unopened bag of chips to the winner, Michelangelo. As Shiho let go, Leo rubbed his sore cheeks between his hands. "Damn, babe,"

Silently, she flipped over the couch and landed square in his lap with her back against his shell. She looked quite victorious as she sat there, up straight with her chin stuck out. Leo's thick arms came around her middle and gave her a squeeze as he buried his face into her silky, dark hair.

"She in bed?" He asked, his chin resting on her shoulder as the turtles went back to watching the cartoon.

"Mhmm. Or, she was when I left. Sandy and Fifi are p there keeping an eye on her. Sooo, we have the evening to ourselves," She cooed as quietly as she could so only Leo would hear. By the soft chuckle he made in her ear, he liked the idea of not being bothered by a youngster or his brothers or her sisters. Everyone seemed completely pre-occupied.

So, like the ninja he was, Leo faded away from the couch with his vixen in his arms and took refuge in their room. Door locked, panties down, and lights off. Leo's night was making a delicious turn-around.

The fox was all his for the taking tonight.

* * *

**A/N: SO? Did I do good?! Hahaha, I tried channeling into how little kids act with their parents when they're being both playful and defiant. Well, let me know how I did with this. I love reviews folks!**


	18. Reoccuring Nightmares

**A/N: There's no flashback section for this chapter since it's a time lapse of about a year. I'm conflicted with what direction I want this story to go, but I have a few ideas. It's a bit of a long chapter but, it's what I was asked to do! I'm here to please! Hehehe, read and review please! I LOVE reviews!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

Faster than anyone had the chance to realize, time was flying by in the world of the ninja turtles and their hybrid roommates. So much time, in fact, that another entire year came and went without so much as a 'Howdy Do'. It was no surprise to Leonardo and Shiho that her hybrid sisters had gained their own attractions towards his brothers much like she had. Raphael earned his own misery with Saundra while Donnie kept busy in his workshop with Fiona as his new assistant. Michelangelo never complained much about being the odd brother out, he spent his time reading comic books and playing video games with the youngest of the hybrids, Aanika. It was with his influence and help that she'd gained the ability to speak more, but that came with its own hazards. Now, there was a 5 year old running around the lair with the same vocabulary and speech habits of Mikey.

Master Splinter was getting older and more fragile as the days went by and could now only verbally instruct his new students with his sons to demonstrate. He'd taken it upon himself to step down as the leader and decision maker of the family and passed the torch to his eldest, Leonardo. It didn't come without conflict from Raphael who protested day in and day out about Leo always being chosen first. With his difference in opinion came Saundra's two cents. Leo and Shiho were mates, in retrospect, that made Shiho the alpha female in the family and it made the gecko's blood boil that she wasn't considered. The tension between the two pairs of mates was always on the rise and usually ended with Shiho in the middle and forcing the two brothers apart before a fight inevitably broke out.

Tonight was yet another sticky situation between the two pairs and Shiho and Leo left Aanika with Mikey and took off topside. Shiho ran alongside her mate until they came to a stop at their favorite rooftop where she shoved her clawed hand through the advertisement billboard with a grunt. Leo withdrew her hand, unscathed, from the busted wood and kissed her delicate knuckles. Tonight's fight had been between her and Saundra this time, and it had been uglier than any of the others.

"Dammit, Leo…_why_ won't she just listen to me?!" Shiho groaned, tucking her nose in that familiar place under his chin as his three fingers found their way through her long locks of chestnut. She heard him sigh as he wrapped an arm firmly around her waist.

Saundra had been growing restless underground and demanded that they go topside to find Marcus. Shiho was instantly against it, doing so would only draw attention to them and endanger the family and their secret. The reptile never understood what was so secretive about a family of mutants and hybrids, it was all she'd ever known in her life and was normal to her. It took all of the energy out of Shiho arguing with her, especially when her sister started to get physical. Both Raphael and Leonardo had to pry Saundra off Shiho after she'd pounced on her and scuffled.

"It's like she doesn't even remember the things that Marcus did to us. If people found out about us, they'd take us apart! And she wants to go around asking people for information in the daytime." Shiho had pulled away from Leo and started pacing and ranting.

"Why doesn't she just understand that the things I do are done for a reason? I don't want to see her being taken away to some strange place to have _more_ experiments done to her. She's just so…so…"

"Hotheaded?" He added. Shiho paused and glanced at him, exhausted.

"Yeah. She's rubbing off on Aanika now, she's getting defiant. I know you've noticed," The tall ears on her dark head stood erect in her agitation. Leo stretched his hand and captured her wrist making her pause in her heated pacing.

"Hey, we've dealt with much worse than a pair of hotheads and a smart mouthed kid. C'mere," With a gentle tug, Shiho came into his arms with a softened expression when he put her hands on his biceps. Through the blue mask, Leo gazed at his mate in a way that brought her into a relaxed silence as her fingers lightly squeezed his muscles. That girlish smile that he hadn't seen in a while curved the corners of those glossy, dark lips upward.

"Relax, no one ever said being a leader was easy. I went through this all the time with Raph in the beginning,"

"It sucks, Babe." She heard the low chuckle that rumbled in his chest before he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Her narrow shoulders heaved as she took a slow, steady breath and exhaled through her nose. When the safety of a family of mutated turtles and genetically altered hybrids was resting on all the decisions you made, it had the knack for wearing you out completely. Shiho and Leo hadn't felt this exhausted since that night they'd come to save her from Marcus but their bond as mates remained unscathed.

Shiho blushed as Leo gathered both of her small hands between his and kissed her long, elegant fingers. Leo never lost his touch for being a romantic and making her swoon until her vision blurred. She didn't know where he picked it up from, he wasn't a watcher of sappy chick flicks or a reader of romance novels. This just all came naturally to him and made her sisters insanely envious of her sheer luck. Raphael had his moments with Saundra, but more often then not they were at each others throats over something stupid. Donatello and Fiona well…they were always nose deep in some research or new gadget and feeding off each others genius vibes.

"C'mon, dance with me," He said, right arm tucked firmly around the small of her back and his left hand grasping her right. Yep, she was swooning.

"Leo there's no music, you dope," She gasped when he swept her around, taking the lead.

"Oh who needs the stuff? Shut up and dance, woman,"

"Pushy turtle…" Shiho muttered through her grin as Leo spun her out and back in with the sounds of the city being their waltz. She had to prance around on her toes to even keep up with Leo's swiftness as he twirled them around and around. Suddenly the pressures of home seemed to fall off that rooftop and it was just the two of them again; the way it was in the beginning.

"Leonardo, where on Earth did you learn to dance?" She asked through a fit of girlish giggles. Leo waggled his brow and shushed her with a kiss. That flavor hadn't changed…mint. He still never understood how she always tasted like cool mint but never bothered to ask. Just savored that fresh and cool flavor that was his mate.

"Mmm…April taught me. Jump," He said. Shiho took a tiny leap and he caught her in his arms. He made it clear to her everyday why she fell in love with him in the first place; it was his ability to make her forget. Forget everything that weighed heavily on her mind and replaced it all with just him. She never took the time to actually appreciated the mental oasis that Leo seemed to always create for her, maybe she started taking the feeling for granted.

"You know, you may be a 6 foot ninja turtle, but you are on hell of a man, Leo. Better than anyone else," The sun had gone down not too long ago and now her eyes were in that luminescent glow that always seemed to hypnotize. With his right arm hooked under the bend in her knees and the left supporting her back, Leo tossed her up just a bit to make her squeal and clutch around his neck. "Leo!"

"Yes?" He acted so innocent.

"Punk," She said, sticking out her tongue. He shifted his arms and tilted her inwards towards him.

"Won't ya kiss me?" Shiho chuckled and rested her hand against his face and leaned in with parted lips. They eyes slid shut as they gently collided once again in a delicious lip-lock that made everyone jealous. No one could kiss like these two; they could try but always wound up looking stupid. Leo grunted when she nipped his lip between her canines. "Hey now.."

"Say you love me," Leo looked taken back, like she was crazy. She knew better than that; that Leo never stopped.

"What's the matter with you? You know I love you," Shiho didn't say anything at first, just chewed her lip and pet his face as her violet eyes studied him for a moment. Her silence must have gotten under his shell because he sighed with more agitation than she'd heard before. "Shiho, answer me,"

"Nothing's wrong with me, Leo. Really, I'm just caught up in right now," Leo didn't completely buy it, but for the sake of not feeding her legendary temper he let it rest. Their brows touched when her arms circled around his neck as a sweet smile greeted him. Even with all of her baggage, Leo never once thought of dropping her or giving up. Not when she made him feel this good about himself.

"You seem to be getting off well together," A voice joining them on the rooftop startled the pair. Shiho looked directly in front of them and laid eyes on a woman dressed in skin tight dark clothing that was decorated in fine armor. A mask hid her face which made Shiho suspicious. Leo let her down and he stood with her tucked behind him.

"Long time, no see, Karai. What are you doing here?" Shiho clenched her jaw and ball her small hands into fists; Leo knew this woman and she didn't like it. The stranger took off her mask and Shiho noticed she had bright green eyes. Leo's stance and posture grew rigid which made her even more uncomfortable, whoever she was, Leo had a history with her.

"I came to tell you that your pet's maker attempted to hire my Foot Ninja to seek you out and destroy you again. I have not yet given him an answer in case you need my help. I am here to warn you that he is coming for her," Shiho ducked between Leo's legs and made a start for the ninja.

"Pet?! You're calling _me _his pet?!" If anything, that had to be Shiho's trigger word. Pet. She wasn't anyone's pet, she was his mate. His companion, dammit. Leo was fast this time and grabbed her firmly by tail, yanking her back against his shell.

"Leo! Ugh…L-…let go!" Shiho tugged at her burnt orange tail and glared menacingly. "You just going to let her call me that? Who is she?!"

"She's a friend. Or was anyway. What were you and your ninjas doing in Marcus' lab a year ago? Huh?" Leo held her tightly by the tail as he questioned Karai, not even glancing down at the struggling fox. She didn't like the way he was looking at the other ninja. "We trusted you, Karai. _I trusted you._"

"Excuse me?" Shiho squeaked, pulling on her furry appendage. Leo grunted and gave it a tug to shut her up which only made her mad. Just who did this woman think she was? Leo was treating her like some misbehaving child all of a sudden in her presence and it put a foul taste in the fox's mouth.

"We were not aware that it was you he was targeting until you and your brothers showed up. He merely hired us to make sure no one interfered. I promise you that while my ninja were present, I was not. Had I known that you, Leonardo, were there that night the Foot would not have attacked you. We are allies, friends, and partners." The ninja spoke slowly and articulated every word. Shiho at last tugged her tail free of Leo's iron grasp and huffed.

"So what does that mean now? Marcus is still after me?"

"He has the assistance of another hybrid that I do not remember meeting a year ago. Does the name Micah mean anything to you?" Both Leo and Shiho sighed and she dropped her shoulders and posture. Micah…it seemed that male wasn't going to give up on her until he made her his mate. Shiho coursed her fingers through the fur of her tail as she held it aloft in her hand, fixing the kink in the follicles that Leo's grasp created.

"Yeah. He's been the biggest pain in the ass since the day he was born. So he ran to Marcus with his tail between his legs, huh? He hasn't changed," Leo glanced at his mate. Her expression tugged at his heartstrings as she looked completely disappointed. They were having such a raw, perfect moment together and it was ripped through their fingers before they could stop it. He felt a spike in her angry energy when Karai approached and placed her hand on his shoulder. When her fingers tightened gently around his muscle and fell down to the bend in his elbow, he swore he heard Shiho growl.

"If you need it, I will be there to help you, Leonardo. It is the least I can do for all you have done for me in the past," Leo gave a nod of his head but sighed when he heard Shiho take off running. There was more to that hand on his shoulder than Shiho cared to notice and she had to get away from the both of them before she lashed out.

"Thanks, if you're able to find out where he's at, we'd appreciate it. Maybe when he's going to come after her would help, too," Karai nodded and vanished. She had that habit of making an exit without parting words. Leo looked down the path of rooftops that his mate had sprinted away on and started going after her.

A flash of glowing violet eyes darted back and landed on the running shadow that was Leo. She should have known he'd follow, he always did. But she didn't want to even look at him so she'd try to shake him by zig-zagging on different rooftops. Naturally, Leo didn't falter. He called after her relentlessly but she pretended not to hear and kept running. Leo almost gave up when she used a band of leather that she kept around her wrist and zip-lined down a cable to a building across a busy street.

"Shiho! Would you just WAIT?!" He called as he braced his knees with both hands and gasped when she landed on the other side. She stood defiantly and pierced him through the shell with that luminescent glare that could curdle dairy. Karai had the worst timing when it came to showing up. He could see from across the street the heavy breaths that his mate was taking, not from running either. She was trying to not burst into tears.

"Let me explain, dammit!" He called, trying to raise his voice over the traffic several stories below. Shiho wasn't too far, but she was far enough that he couldn't jump across to get her. He was too heavy to get across on the cable like she did, he could try, but it would snap and he'd plummet to the street. Anxiously, he looked around for any way over to his mate to make her understand. He couldn't stand to see those tears fall down those cheeks, to streak that beautiful face of hers.

Leo had always known Shiho had an issue with jealousy, but he'd never seen it on display. There'd never been any competition for his attention. He'd also never bothered telling her about Karai; it was no mystery that he had an enormous crush on the ninja before Shiho came along. His brothers tormented him about her all the time but always clammed up when Shiho came into the room for fear of having their heads knocked together. When he watched her step backwards and slide down against the wall of a supply shed on the roof, he knew she was falling apart. Everything was coming down at once and he was almost powerless to stop it.

"Damn…If I could just…score!" After looking around, he found a manhole cover between his building and the one beside it. He glanced back to see the violet glow was gown as her head was buried against her thighs before jumping down.

"Shiho…Shiho, look at me," After traveling under the street and getting back up to where she'd tucked herself away, Leo knelt in front of her with his hands on her shoulders. He'd never seen her like this. They'd all seen her when she was weak but never quite this bad. When her tiny frame shook, he knew it wasn't just from Karai appearing.

"Shiho come on…she's an old friend, I swear. You know I'd never—"

"I know, Leo!" Shiho looked up from her knees with that tear streaked face he didn't want to see. He'd seen that look before. She was afraid. "I know…"

The pair sat in agonizing silence. Well as silent as New York City could get. Leo pressed his hands against her knees and slid them up her thighs to grip and pulled her against him. He held her in the shield of his arms as she did her best to not make any noise through her weeping, that didn't stop her shoulders from shaking and her nose from sniffling.

"Shiho talk to me, baby. I can't understand or fix this until you tell me what's wrong," His heavy hand passed over her ears and down her hair, over and over to calm her down. Shiho never broke down so easily. He gently pulled her back to look her in the face; that beautiful face streaked with tears. "Shiho…"

"It just never ends, Leo. I just want it to be over, for Marcus to be gone, for Micah to leave me alone. I'm tired of being afraid…and now some woman shows up and puts her hands on you," Her hands dug into the roots of her hair, she just wanted to pull it all out she was so frustrated. She couldn't stand how angry she was. Leo didn't know whether to be annoyed or rather proud that his mate was jealous.

"Hey, don't do that. You're my girl, not Karai. Look at me, dammit," Shiho winced when he grasped her by the back of the neck and made her look at him. He had to stop those tears from falling; they pooled in her eyes and would not stop. Her eyes were too lovely to be shrouded in tears this way. "We are going to put an end to this, I promise. I have never lied to you, have I?"

She didn't answer and it sparked agitation. Both of his hands held her face.

"Have I?" Shiho's arms came around his neck as she pressed firmly against him in an embrace.

"No. I just want the chasing to stop…For Marcus to go away. And for whomever that was to never put her hands on you…" Leo stood and picked her up again with her legs coming around him. With a kiss on her cheek, he nuzzled the side of her head.

"I know. Don't worry about Karai. Have faith in me, Babe. We're going to finish this," Leo felt better when he noticed her relax and buried her face against the side of his neck. Shiho was coming over this little emotional hill that she'd climbed on her own. "You're safe with me, or haven't you realized that yet?"

Still aloft, Shiho moved to bring her hands to his shoulders so he could see her face. Her teeth chewed her lip nervously and her ears dropped down to the side of her head. Leo wasn't able to stop the smile that crept onto his face, she looked adorable. He knew she was scared, he knew before she admitted to it. Scared of being taken again; taken away from his brothers, from her sisters, from April and Casey, from Aanika. But he knew what she was afraid of more than anything. Being taken away from him. Leo was all too aware how weak she felt without him at her side, how incomplete and utterly alone. She needed Leo.

"Leo I—"

"I'm not going to let you get taken away again. I can't breathe without you," Shiho whimpered and leaned against his forehead. "You're my girl, Shiho. My mate. You don't need to be afraid anymore. No one is taking you from me,"

The mates fell quiet once again. The breeze picked up and billowed the tails of his mask and the long locks of her hair about them, making them shudder when the ends of her hair tickled their skin. It was getting colder as the night wore on and they had to get back before they caught a cold. Now is not the time to fall ill, not with an old threat about to rear up.

"Let's get home. I'm sure they're waiting for us," Leo said as she slid down onto her feet. Shiho was coming down from her fit and was beginning to feel the effects of her foolishness. But the look Leo gave her buried those feelings.

"Yeah…I'm so sure hehe…" Leo took a step towards home, her hand tucked tightly into his. He paused when she didn't move at first. She stood there with her gaze cast downward at her feet, studying them carefully for some reason. His thumb digit grazed over her smooth knuckles and gave her a gentle tug.

"Come on, Shiho. I'm not mad," Was she really that easy to read? She must have been, her emotions were displayed in enormous bold letters to Leo's eyes, and no one could read her better than he could. She wiped her cheeks with the heel of her palm and sucked in a breath before taking the leap down into the alley. Like a gentleman, Leo held open the manhole lid for her and she took the first jump and landed with a silent splash in the waters below. He was right behind her and made sure no one had seen them before pulling the lid closed.

Now, to get home without the awkward silence.

* * *

"Hey, Lil' Dudette, it's dinner time. Come on, hit pause and let's get our grub on," Mikey said to the dominating mini fox in his lap. She furiously punched away at the buttons on her game controller as he did the same on his with his arms tucked around her. Aanika focused intensely with her little pink tongue poking out the corner of her mouth as she battled with her uncle in a space invaders video game. She was kicking his butt, or at least, that's what he wanted her to think. He couldn't very well ruin a little kid's day by whooping her in a game he mastered. Her tiny ears fell when he paused the game and lifted her up under the arms and slung her over his shoulder.

"Hey…HEY! Down! Dowwwwn!" She kicked and wiggled but it only earned her a flick in the butt. Grumbling, she went limp and let him place her down at her spot at the dinner table. Donnie set down a bright green plastic bowl filled with Spaghetti-o's and meatballs with a Sippy cup of grape juice. She grimaced when he sat down beside his brother, both with bowls of their own. "Pizza!"

"Hey, your mom said no dice on the pie tonight. So like…get mad at her. But eat, she'll have our shells if she finds out you skipped dinner," Mikey said after shoving a spoonful in his mouth. Donnie glanced at him with a grossed out expression and took a small bite. Fiona joined the boys and her sister, munching on a slice of toast as she sat down.

"Fifi, pizza. Please?" The words were still crude and primal but she was getting better at making coherent demands. Her older sister just laughed and slung her long legs over Donnie's thighs. The mini fox grunted and gave up and forced herself to pick up her plastic spoon and eat.

"Jeez, who taught you to act like that?" Donnie said, looking at the kid as she made faces. Like the food was horrible but she didn't stop eating, they all knew she was addicted to Spaghetti-o's. Despite being a genius, Donnie figured he'd never understand the mind of a child.

"Two names come to mind. Uhhh…Raphael and Saundra. Which is like, totally not surprising,"

"Totally," Aanika said, mimicking her uncle. When her uncles and sisters chuckled, she smiled a spaghetti sauce grin. "Radical!"

"Lil' Dudette, you are out of this world. Like your dear old Uncle Mikey," He said. Donnie and Fiona could only shake their heads and look at each other. Great, they had two Michelangelo's.

"All I'm saying is you could have backed me up, Raphael! Is that too much to ask?!"

"You jumped on her and strangled your sister, Saundra! What did you expect me to do?! She's right, you know!" Everyone at the table groaned as Raphael and the wonderful gecko came out of the training room. Fighting with each other. Again. Tonight's topic? Saundra's spat with Shiho.

"Look, Shiho may have all of you under her beautiful thumb, but not me! I know we should be looking for Marcus and taking him down. But she wants to stay down here and hide like a child," The turtles and foxes at the dinner table glanced at each other and silently agreed to tune the fighting pair out. It was the only solution for any peace.

"I may not like that Leo is the leader here, but I know better now than to go _looking_ for trouble like you want to do. Have you not forgotten that your little creator wants to kill Shiho AND us?" They gravitated towards the sitting area in front of the television, still bantering. Raphael was coming close to smacking the gecko across the snout but held off knowing she'd whip the hell out of him. That thick tail of hers had a knack for leaving ugly bruises.

"Oh what do you know, Raphael? You never had to deal with Shiho controlling you the way I did. The way I still do," Saundra said, getting right up in her mate's face. Raphael growled through clenched teeth. There was so much he could say to put her in her place, but that wasn't his job. "You think that after 2 years of living with her that you know her, but you don't."

"I know a hell of a lot more than you think I do, Sandy. You don't get it, do you? Once Marcus has her, who's to stop him from capturing the rest of you and finishing you off, huh? Just because I haven't known Shiho as long as you have doesn't mean she doesn't confide in me."

"Oh I'm so sure she does. She spends all of her time either bossing me around or fucking Leo."

"Hey! Watch your mouth, Saundra. There's a kid in the room and that's my brother you're talking about. Shiho may be different but I love her too, and you can't just say things like that because you're mad," Raph said, his hands clenching. Saundra had stepped over a line with that one.

"She doesn't have the time for me, she doesn't care about me."

"Well, it's good to know that we can step out for a run and know that the harmony is being kept," Raphael and Saundra hushed and just glared at each other, sneering. Leo stood at the entrance with his mate right beside him, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. "Enough. We've got bigger problems now."

From the table, Aanika burst out of her seat and ran towards Leo and Shiho with her arms outstretched. Donnie and Mikey gasped when the fox leader jumped over her child and went up the stairs taking two or three at a time. She may have cleared the air with Leo but that didn't stop the ache in her chest. Donnie gathered the used dishes and placed them in the sink before moving to greet his brother with Mikey.

"Uhhh…I'm going to guess something not-so-wicked happened while topside," Mikey said. Leo leaned over and picked up his mini fox to nuzzle her nose. She pointed at the stairs as her mother took off without saying a word. Leo just kissed her cheek, at least he was there.

"Karai showed up," Collectively, all three of his brothers gave him their full attention. Karai's presence was always bad news. By the look on Shiho's face as she disappeared, they imagined there was more to hear.

"Bummer, dude…so like, what happened then?"

"Yeah, it's normal for Karai to make surprise appearances but you know…not since the Shredder," Donnie said as the turtles and moved to sit. Fiona wanted to listen but her growing concern for her sister was too much to bear and she had to go after her. Saundra, still peeved, sat with the brothers instead.

"So, apparently, Marcus is trying to hire the Foot to come after Shiho and us. Karai hasn't given him an answer yet but is thinking of taking his offer but working for us. Giving us information. Little Micah and his big mouth told him where we are," All at once, the brothers groaned. Saundra just shook her head, it was typical of Micah to act like a rotten slime.

"So what now?" Raph said, his elbows on his knees as he sat forward on the couch. Saundra settled in beside him with her scaly cheek pressed into his shoulder. Looks like their fight was over. Leo ran his hands down the length of Aanika's hair before clutching her tiny palms.

"We wait for the information from Karai. She's going to give me his permanent location. We need to make plans if anything goes wrong," He bounced his leg, Aanika jolting up and down and giggling. He'd gotten the hang of this Dad thing a while ago and it just came naturally now. Much to the surprise of everyone else. Saundra snorted through her nose and thumped her tail on the couch.

"Of course. That lunatic knows where we are and we're just going to be sitting here and waiting for him to come get us. Why don't we just—"

"That's enough, Saundra. I've had it with you today. If you want to put yourself in danger, go ahead I'm not stopping you. But you are _not_ putting my mate or my family in the line of fire. Do you understand?" Leo said. His glare could pierce through lead and made her sit still, her jaw snapping shut.

"Just know that if you go on and make trouble for yourself, you'll be doing it alone. Shiho and I have worked too hard to keep all of you safe. Forty Flips. Now," Saundra gaped at the turtle. He never ordered her around that way before. The family had grown silent with all of their eyes on her. She felt like her spots had turned purple with all of those stares. Leo was serious and positively fed up. With what dignity she had left, the gecko pulled away from the couch to the open area and started her back flips and counting out loud.

"Jesus…now…We may need to keep Aanika with April and Casey if things get hairy. Shiho would just die if anything happened to her,"

"Leo, when do you think he's going to come after us?" Donnie said. His hands clasped tightly together in his lap to get a hold on his nerves.

"That's what Karai is going to find out for me. See, he wants to hire the Foot as a delivery service. With her on the inside, we can be ready," They all agreed. The brothers adjourned to Donnie's workshop to make the plans and get the gadgets. Because, what was a plan without a dozen of Donnie's toys?

* * *

"Shiho…I'm sure you're just over thinking again. You know Leo loves you," Upstairs, Fiona sat with her sister in her and Leo's room. They snuggled together under the covers in bed, Shiho didn't feel like herself and was hating it. Feeling vulnerable and weak wasn't her style.

"It isn't that anymore, Fi. Well, not entirely. It's just Marcus, it's never going to stop," Her tall ears were flat and she pulled the dark comforter up to her chin, her nose buried into Leo's pillow. It smelled like him, his scent always put her at ease.

"I know. I'm scared too…I don't wanna go back there. 20 years of him and Maggie is more than enough," Shiho chuckled gratefully and clutched hands with the redhead. Her pretty grey eyes met with violet and urged her to smile. Fiona had always been Shiho's rock in the past, things hadn't really changed even though Leo was in the picture.

"But hey! We have mates now! I'm positive we'll be safe. Ohh I can just imagine it now, Donnie swooping in to rescue me with a loud battle cry of passion.. How romantic," Shiho arched both brows and blinked in confusion before sputtering a laugh.

"Pffft…Fifi, you're too much, sis. Donnie? Battle cry? The only thing I've seen him cry about was when Splinter got a hold of his laptop and gave it a virus," They nuzzled noses and settled into the pillows in a giggle fit. "Mates huh? I thought I noticed you walkin' funny the other day."

"Shiho how dare you!" Fiona screeched, her face turning three shades of red which only made her sister bust up even more. The redhead smacked her in the face with a pillow and grunted as Shiho teased her with smooching sounds and fake moans.

"Ohhh Donnie! Yes! Donnie! Ah yeah!" Shiho taunted, twisting her face into a false orgasm as she scratched at the walls and pulled her dark hair.

"Shiho please!" Fiona had buried herself under the blankets and pillows in her embarrassment as Shiho gasped for air. Tormenting her sister had become too much fun at this point, now that she knew that Donnie had his own slice of fox paradise. Shiho had taken ntice to his change in behavior, he was more upbeat than usual. From under all those layers Fiona grumbled. "Don't act like you don't do it, too!"

"Oh I know, little sister. I've been doing that long before you got here. Quite often," Shiho plucked those pillows off Fiona and beamed at her. "And did it well,"

"You're disgusting,"

"Heyy don't hate me for lovin' my turtle, sis. I guess now you see what all the noise was about then, huh?" Fiona sheepishly nodded, she'd never been more embarrassed in her life. But, it could always be worse…no it couldn't. Shiho turned onto her belly and rested on her elbows, looking sideways at her sister with a little smirk.

"Didn't hurt too bad did it?" Shiho said, her tail making a curve over her back.

"Terribly…You said it would but I didn't think it would hurt THAT bad," Twitching the end of her bushy, long tail Shiho reached into her nightstand and shuffled around inside the drawer. Fiona's ears opened in curiosity before something was thrown at her and thumped her in the middle of her forehead.

"Ow!"

"There you go, try that. Had to use it a few times with Leo, helps immensely," Fiona shook her head and studied what she was given. Her ears twitched as she read the little purple bottle, ducking under the pillow. KY Tingling Lubricant.

"What?! I can't use this, Donnie will think I'm some freak!" She didn't find it as funny as Shiho did, she was having an absolute ball with this. The vixen picked the small bottle up between two fingers and dangled it in front of her sister's face.

"Nah, if anything he'll thank you. Makes it hurt less, too. Seriously, try it. Thank me later,"

"Feeling better I see," Fiona jumped and Shiho just turned her head, a grin all too sly playing with the corners of her lips. Leo leaned against the wall with his eyes on his vixen. She wondered how long he'd been standing there.

"Looks like the cats out of the bag, Fi. Go hide that in Donnie's room," When the red head paused, Shiho hissed at her. "Go on! Get!"

"Okay! Hi Leo," She said to the ninja as she went past.

"Hey Fifi," As she left, Leo closed the door and made sure it was locked before coming to lie down beside his mate. She looked tired with drooping ears and heavy eyelids. It didn't take long before she curled up against his side with her leg entwined around his thigh. Leo cupped her jaw into his right hand and pulled her into a deep, wet kiss that lured a soft whimper out of her throat. His lips crushed down on hers, heavy and demanding in their movement to entice that tongue of hers to come out and play. When it did, his hand descended down the curve of her body and slipping into those bitchin' yoga pants of hers to give her butt a good squeeze.

"After tonight I could go for some make-up sex right about now," He mumbled against her lips as he tugged her to straddle him. Both of his hands now slipped into her pants and caressed the globes of her ass while pressing her pelvis into him. Shiho made the mischievous giggle that made him hard at just the sound.

"I was thinking the same thing," He removed those pants faster than she could and gave her rear a firm smack. "Leo!"

"It's too bad you gave away our tingling gel," He mused, his voice rumbled and tickled her ears.

"Ohh I don't think we'll need it," With a quick flip, Leo resumed his place on top and gazed down at her.

"Really? You're such a naughty, little fox. C'mere," Leo growled and had her giggling again as their wrestle between the sheets commenced and their situation on the rooftops was long forgotten.

It never took much for Shiho to fall back into her normal personality and habits after something rustled her jimmies. All she needed was the time alone with Leo, time with him seemed to heal everything.

And right now, Shiho _really_ was in the mood for healing.

* * *

**A/N: BI Get some. Deciding if I need another smut chapter or not. REVIEW AND TELL ME. Hehe, so naturally, I had to throw in a slice of Karai to make my fox tingle with jealousy. Because really, we ALL know there was something between Leo and that chick. Ohhh I can't stand her though. Anyway, till next time duckies!**


	19. Vexing Sisters

**A/N: Alright, I caved. I smutted. But it's not overbearing smut, the chapter isn't even about smut. So there..It's a longer one. Like I promised I would! Heh. I was feeling that there needed to be more of a display of the conflict between Shiho and Saundra, how they butt heads. But it's different this time! Yee! Read and Review please! **

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

Previously: "_You're such a naughty, little fox. C'mere," Leo growled and had her giggling again as their wrestle between the sheets commenced and their situation on the rooftops was long forgotten. _

_It never took much for Shiho to fall back into her normal personality and habits after something rustled her jimmies. All she needed was the time alone with Leo, time with him seemed to heal everything._

_And right now, Shiho really was in the mood for healing._

* * *

Falling back into their rhythm wasn't a difficult task for Leonardo and Shiho, they had their bumps…hell, they had their jagged cliffs, but they somehow always managed to come back to each other. To the place they were before where there was balance, tranquility, and love. Shiho was Leo's wild child, the one thing on this planet that kept him grounded and crazy at the same time. But to Shiho, Leo was her lifeline…an anchor. The only being capable of bringing her serenity and guardianship. The jagged edges of each creature collided and geared together like the workings of a delicate clock.

Leo started this night on a romantic note and he was going to end it that way despite the raging need to get off. The delicate woman that writhed beneath him beckoned for not just the physical touch of his affections, but something deeper. A level only achieved by Leonardo. They both had their scars; physical and spiritual. Shiho had the rings around her neck and wrists from the countless years of being shackled by electric chains, but the deeper wound was her inability to trust easily. Leo's scars were more prominent, that deep, jagged slice in the upper ridge of his carapace from that near fatal blast when he was a teenager while taking care of the Shredder, just before being saved at the last minute by the Utroms. The gripping handprint left on his spirit was from almost failing, a fear that was constantly with him.

The fear of failing and losing everything he loved terrified Leo and often woke him in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. If Shiho weren't there to caress the wounds he wasn't sure how he'd handle the torments of his own conscience. From the gaze he was receiving from that beautiful vixen beneath him brought him back to that peaceful plateau in his mind.

"Shiho," The vixen stopped the slow trail of kisses that she was travelling up the middle of his throat and laid back to give him her attention. He smiled when those ears opened full bloom.

_The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful  
Stop me and steal my breath.  
And emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky  
Never revealing their depth._

"What?" One of his hands made work to remove her tank top and discard it to the side of their bed. His heart thumped painfully under his hard plastron as her soft hands caressed his cheeks. Through his nose, he exhaled slowly and leaned down to ghost their lips across each other which made her glossy pair tremble at the touch.

_Tell me that we belong together,  
Dress it up with the trappings of love.  
I'll be captivated,  
I'll hang from your lips,  
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above._

"I love you," Her heavy lids fluttered closed as he heavily brought their mouths together in a kiss sensual enough to make his heart burst. He made fast workings of her undies and hastily worked his already stiff shaft into his lovely vixen. Hasty his movements were, but not sloppy and Shiho noticed with the arch of her spine. She guessed Leo was still in that deep sensual place in his mind where it was more than just sex, a place that she often loved to visit.

_I'll be your crying shoulder,  
I'll be love's suicide  
I'll be better when I'm older,  
I'll be the greatest fan of your life._

Lover's grasped hands and laced fingers as best they could, faces and lips never strayed too far from each others skin. Leo's heavy panting heated her skin to a moistness that chilled in the air and rose sun-kissed goose bumps in its wake. Slow, deep thrusts pressed against her heat with soft thumps giving rise to even softer moans that climbed the height of her lovely throat. The ninja churred and clenched her hands and pressed them deep into their pillows.

_And rain falls angry on the tin roof  
As we lie awake in my bed.  
You're my survival, you're my living proof.  
My love is alive and not dead._

"Leo…" Shiho gaped when he pressed firmly into her with a clench of his teeth. He released her hands and her arms came around his neck in desperation as she squeezed her bright eyes shut with those tears in the corners. When she arched against him, his left arm slithered beneath her back and held her as close as he could. With everything that was about to happen sometime in the near future, Leo wasn't sure when he'd get the next chance to love his fox in this way. It was with that notion that he thrust into her just a little harder.

"S-…say it, Shiho," He grunted, barely able to keep his eyes open from the blissful ridges inside her core stroking his length to rigid perfection. Shiho couldn't answer with words yet, she was buried deep in her beautiful desires of just wanting to be with Leo. Another soft moan came through her part lips and her head tossed back against her pillow in ecstasy. He leaned down with his beak nuzzling the white fur inside her ear. "Let me hear it,"

_Tell me that we belong together.  
Dress it up with the trappings of love.  
I'll be captivated,  
I'll hang from your lips,  
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above_

"I-…I love you, too, Leo…" She said through a broken gasp, it almost sounded like a sob. But not a cry of sadness or a broken heart, rather a heart drowning in its overwhelming love and compassion. Minutes ticked by; five minutes at first, then ten, fifteen, and eventually thirty. Shiho and Leo often lost their concept of time when it came to being together like this, the more lost they became the better.

_I'll be your crying shoulder,  
I'll be love's suicide  
I'll be better when I'm older,  
I'll be the greatest fan of your life._

Strong hands gripped her by the hips and created the anchor for an increase in speed and power for Leo's thrusts. The change only made her moan with more intensity, but still exited her lungs with an airy tone. The candle on their bedside table flickered in response to the shift in the bed and sheets as the mates tangled together and became one. Leo couldn't handle how much he loved her; right now in this moment. If the thick shell of his plastron wasn't over his chest, he was sure his heart would explode through his skin.

_And I've dropped out, I've burned up, I've fought my way back from the dead.  
I've tuned in, turned on, remembered the things that you said_

"Shiho…I-I'm,"

"It's okay," Shiho gasped as he lost control of himself; lost the control of his mind and body working together and became weak against his need. Faster, Leo stroked himself inside of his mate, her moist heat creating the perfect environment for his inevitable release. He felt the twitch in his member and almost lost the stability in his arms as they shook and he came down for a hot and heavy kiss. Leo groaned from his throat into her lips as he hit the roof of his orgasm and clenched the pillows in his masculine hands.

Shiho nearly tore away from his lips to scream in her euphoric release when she felt his own break out inside her. It was Leo's essence that brought her over the edge as that familiar burning sting spread throughout her belly and womb. The sensation never failed to leave her gasping.

_I'll be your crying shoulder,  
I'll be love's suicide  
I'll be better when I'm older,  
I'll be the greatest fan of your...  
I'll be your crying shoulder,  
I'll be love's suicide  
I'll be better when I'm older,  
I'll be the greatest fan of your life.  
_

Both mates panted through open mouths and said nothing but stared at each other through hazy vision. Shiho still felt that lingering fear of being taken away from Leo, that rotten fear that left a pit of emptiness in her stomach so deep that she couldn't stop the single hot tear that slipped from the corner of her eye. Leo slowed his rhythmic thrusts and eventually stilled, his thumb clearing her face of that meddlesome moisture.

"Don't be scared," He said before kissing her in the center of her forehead. The fox relished in the bittersweet tenderness of her mate, not a single person treated her with as much care as he did. When he looked at her the way he was now, eyes filled with compassion and desire…need and want…love and respect, Shiho couldn't stop the painful thumping of her heart.

_The greatest fan of your life.  
...greatest fan of your life._

* * *

"Just a few small adjustments and I'll have this new earpiece all finished up. Try to hold still," said Donatello. After Shiho and Leo disappeared into their bedroom, Fiona had scurried out in a rush to hide the new "assistance" that her sister had given her. She'd bumped into Donnie on her way back downstairs and he pulled her into his workshop to work on some new pieces. His most recent project was a communicating and recording earpiece for the foxes since their ears didn't hold his current gadgets too well.

So, there the little redhead sat on a stool with her sea-grey eyes wandering about with a turtle up in her tall orange ear. His fingers bent wires and adjusted the small speaker just right so it wouldn't fall out, the contact made her giggle as it tickled her soft down fur. "D-Donnie, hurry. That tickles,"

"I'm sorry, eheh…almost done. This new communicator will dramatically help you guys in the long run for this upcoming heist and any other missions we might have," He said, busy inside her ear as she tried to not make it twitch.

"I've never done anything like this before. Shiho tells me stories of all the adventures you guys had before we came along. Mikey even told me about that big competition…what was it called…?" Her thin fingertip pressed against her lip in thought as Donnie rolled his eyes. He knew exactly what she was talking about and made a mental note to smack his brother for boasting. Again.

"The Battle Nexus Championship?"

"Uh-huh!" Donnie slapped a hand over his face dramatically and pulled downhis eyelids and face.

"Oh jeez…he's been going on about that for years. He never fails to rub it in Raphael's face whenever he gets the chance. I tell ya, Fi, I don't think he's ever going to shut-up about being the Champion until the day he dies. Or until Raph kills him, whichever comes first," The fiery vixen chuckled quietly as Donnie moved away after finishing and turning on the device. He used his Shell Cell to test it out.

"Okay, can you hear me in the speaker? Testing…testing…" Fiona shook her head to see if it would jerk loose and fall out and twitched her ears back and forth to test the flexibility of the wires.

"Sound quality is a bit grainy, but I think you can work the kinks out of that with a few diagnostics. But other than that, it seems to be a success. Good job, Donnie," She said with a smile. Her smile wasn't quite like Shiho's, her lips weren't dark and glossy but rather a pale rosy pink that were baby soft. Just above the left corner of her mouth was a small freckle that always put a mad blush on Donnie's face whenever she grinned.

"Grainy? Might need to readjust a few of the wires, but I'll do that another time. Thanks for the help, Fi. Your sister runs and hides whenever I ask her to test something out," he said, taking the device out of her ear and rubbed the fur. She leaned against his palm in response and hummed.

"That's not surprising. Marcus was always testing things out on her more than the rest of us. I'm glad she found you guys though, she doesn't act as terrified as she used to," Donnie stopped what he was doing and looked at his mate, perplexed. He remembered the night Leo brought her back after finding her in front of the burning lab. She'd acted in such an extreme panic that he wondered just how bad the tests and experiments were in her past. Whenever he tested something, he always made sure she was as comfortable as she possibly could be. Donnie couldn't bring himself to force anything on someone as fragile as Shiho.

"Just what _did_ he do to you guys? I mean, drawing blood out of Shiho's arm sent her heart rate through the roof,"

"Marcus is just the definition of evil. He doesn't even care about Maggie, just pretends that he does so she'll do the dirty work. Each of us had our designated field of testing. Shiho took the blunt of almost everything though. Fighting, injections, electroshocks, extreme weather. You get what I mean," The redhead vixen moved over into her rolling chair and buzzed over to her own computer to go through a few things.

Donnie sat nervously beside her in silent wonder, his eyes darting from the small earpiece in his hands to her profile. Her curly strands were pulled back into a loose ponytail that left a few springy curls to fall in her face. The computer screen that she was staring at cast a blue glow onto her pale, cream colored skin and lit up those grey eyes that made his breath catch in his throat whenever he caught himself looking at them. They'd only recently become mates, he understood what it was about Shiho that Leo seemed to be drawn to. The girls were all so unique in their special ways; Shiho had the obvious flare and outrageous beauty with such a powerful presence. But she was Leo's; it was no contest that he'd have her.

But Fiona was quiet and intelligent. Thinner than her older sister, too. Fiona lacked those Spanish genes that Shiho inherited from her biological parents; no she was 100% raging Irish. Springy, bright red curly hair that came to the middle of her back and framed her narrow face. But her most outstanding feature wasn't the brunt orange ears and tail; it was those eyes that reminded him of a stormy sea sky. Her delicate beauty left him baffled, confused as to how anyone could do horrible things to someone that fragile and lovely.

"Fiona, if you don't mind me asking…"

"Hmm?" Grey eyes lingered on the screen but her ear opened in his direction to tell him she was listening. He set the ear piece on his work bench and rolled closer.

"What was your experimented field?" The quick typing of her slim fingers stilled and her little canines tugged at her pink lip for a moment. Donnie gulped, feeling that perhaps that was something better left unasked.

"Well, vision and breathing capacity I guess you could say," She guessed that by the look on his face, he was both confused and feeling a tinge of regret. The red fox laughed softly and rose out of her chair and settled into his lap sideways, one arm slung across his shoulders. Donnie blinked once or twice in question.

"Marcus would put me in a room and fill it with toxic gases of all sorts, it depended on the day. I'd have to go through some sort of maze through the gas cloud in order to get out of it. He'd record how fast I was, how efficient I was, and if I blacked out," He swallowed thickly again with a sigh. He couldn't understand what sort of breakthrough Marcus was looking for by putting her through that sort of torture.

"Jeez…That's just…awful. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Like her sister; Fiona was very affectionate in her gestures. Her finger tips grazed along his purple mask, touching under his eyes and to the side of his head before cascading down to his neck and shoulder. He understood what it meant she would do that, telling him that she wasn't upset by anything he'd said.

"Don't worry about it, we're mates right? Besides, information like that might benefit us sometime in the future," Donnie grumbled something she couldn't hear and didn't look at her. She arched her manicured scarlet brow in slight agitation. "Donatello, really. It doesn't bother me."

"No, but it bothers me. I couldn't understand before why Leo would get so upset when Shiho would tell him things. I do now."

"And why is that?" She said, tilting her head just slightly.

"Because I wasn't able to stop it and it makes me angry. When Leo would find out new things about her past, the things Marcus did to her, he'd be furious and storm off topside. I thought he was just being an idiot until I met you. It's infuriating to know that I wasn't there to protect you..." Her tall ears folded flat on her curly hair as she pressed a sweet kiss against his beak giving way to the spread of a crimson blush on his olive green skin. Tightly, his arms came around her slender waist and gave her a squeeze.

"Oh Donnie, you're so sweet. I don't want you to feel bad, you didn't know me when it happened," Donnie sighed sadly, he knew that. But that didn't stop him from wishing he had been there to save her from all of that pain. Fiona felt that obvious doubt and tried to lick the wound. "I guess I'm guilty of catching on to remarkable things late myself," Twirling a thick finger around in her spring loaded curls Don glanced up at her face.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm not going to lie; when I first saw you I was terrified. I couldn't imagine what Shiho was thinking when she said she was Leo's mate. But now I'm starting to get the gist she knew what she was doing, you guys are really out of this world. You in particular, Donnie. You're something special—OH MY!"

Donnie grinned like a dope and dramatically leaned her backwards in his lap with his arm holding her shoulders. She desperately clutched the rim of his carapace, afraid he'd drop her on the floor. "Donatello! Put me down!"

"Something special, eh? Could it be my outrageously handsome mug? My limitless intelligence? My cooking?"

"Oh you lush, get me up! I'm gonna fall," She whined. The turtle only chuckled and leaned in and pressed a kiss on her lips; both to shut her up and thank her. She made half an attempt to protest but was essentially powerless to the influence of Donatello's kisses and gave in. Against his lips, she giggled wildly, like some teenager with a crush before he brought her back up straight on his thighs.

"There, that wasn't so bad was it? Don't you trust a ninja?"

"I oughta smack you..."

* * *

Shiho had emerged from her room late that evening, Leo had fallen asleep and she was feeling restless. Her thoughts were deafening and all over the place in her head, she couldn't silence them no matter how close she snuggled next to Leo. She felt like her skin was too tight, her chest was hot, and she just couldn't keep her eyes closed. Leaving Leo in bed was always the last thing she wanted to do, but ruining his sleep with her tossing and turning just wasn't fair. So she decided to ease her nerves with some of the raspberry iced tea April brought over yesterday.

"Hey, you can't sleep either?" Shiho was in the middle of pouring herself a glass of tea when a gruff voice made her jump. Glancing behind her with a luminescent gaze, the fox relaxed her shoulders and smiled before grabbing another glass and filling that one as well.

"Hey, Raph. Nah, can't sleep. What are you doing up?" She said, nudging his middle with the drink and walked away towards the couch to see what was on TV at 2am. The turtle looked down into the dark, chilled fluid and swirled it around in his glass before following and plopping down beside her. One foot propped up on the ottoman with his arm slung over the back of the couch. Shiho shifted her legs under her bottom and leaned back.

"Cave Baby had a nightmare and ran into me when I was comin' outta the bathroom," Shiho folded her ears flat in guilt. She or Leo were usually the ones to console the little fox in her nightmare fits. Raph picked up on her heavy energy and flicked her in the side of the head.

"Butthead!" She hissed, rubbing her sore ear.

"Relax, I took care of it and she's in Mikey's room, hehehe." Shiho chuckled softly and brought the drink to her lips and let the cold fluid go down easy. It put out that scorching heat behind her breastbone, her anxiety attacks were often silent ones but that didn't make them any less uncomfortable. "She's a good little knucklehead."

"Heh, when she wants to be. Thanks though, I was tired. Dealing with Miss Personality tonight and meeting that woman just really put me out of sorts…" Raph wiggled slightly and settled deeper into the cushion as he swiped the remote out of her hand to scan the channels. She shot him a dirty glare and he winked in response. Asshole.

"Yeah Leo told us what happened. You shouldn't let Karai get under your skin, though. It's not like Leo is about to trade up a babe like you for an annoying runt like her. I personally can't stand her," That got a giggle out of her and Raph felt slightly better, at least he was able to get her to lighten up. She'd been so moody lately and tonight she just seemed like someone else altogether. Saundra picking fights like she did early that evening certainly never helped matters.

"Listen, about Sandy—"

"Raph, I really don't want to talk about my sister right now. She's been a bother to me since the day she was born. I told you guys we don't get along, and when we do, it doesn't last longer than a few hours," Shiho snapped, her hand clenching around her moist glass. Raph twisted his lips into a frown and sighed, the tension between those two was on another level compared to him and Leonardo.

"I know but…agh, I know this is really the pot callin' the kettle black here but you two really need to sort it out, ya know? Leo and I fight yeah, but we still cooperate."

"Raphael, it's different with us. Saundra is this way because she isn't the same as the rest of us. She's always going to hate me," His thick fingers pinched the soft flesh of her ear and gave it a rough tug. "OW! Raph that hurts! Will you stop it?!"

"Listen, Shiho. Right now, you two need each other. If this Marcus guy actually follows through and takes you, she's going to fall apart. You may not realize it but the woman does give a damn. She tells me so…" Shiho gave him a look that made him flinch. "Okay maybe she doesn't come right out and say it but I know she does."

"I don't know," She said with a sigh. The fox set glass on the flat surface of the ottoman and braced her knee with her elbow, sliding her hand back through her hair until it grasped the back of her neck gently. Raph could see just how conflicted the sisters were, their issues with each other ran much farther down than something skin deep.

"She doesn't understand Marcus like I do. I know what he's capable of doing and that he'll do it without fear of any consequence. He's expecting her to lash out, it'll make her easier to catch. It's like he's baiting her," Raph gulped, he didn't want Saundra to be taken. Even he had his reasons for being afraid because now he had a mate just like Leo and Donnie. A tugging sense of fury pulled at the unstable nerves in his mind that controlled his anger.

"I'm trying to make her see that once he has all of us that he'll more than likely take us apart and start all over. I don't want that to happen, Raph. And who's to say someone _else_ won't try to catch her? She'd be dissected in a heartbeat," He could see where she was hinting at. Scientists these days were always looking for something new to hook their claws in and understand. A giant walking, talking, gecko with an attitude was just begging to become the new lab rat in the world of science.

"I get ya, sis. Heh, I think I'm starting to get why Leo is so up in the shell about you."

"You're just _now_ noticing that? We've been together for what…almost two years. I know you've got a bad attitude, but dense?" She said it with that joking smile he knew all too well and pinched and twisted the skin on her arm, making her squeal. "RAPHAEL!"

"Hahaaa, that's what you get. Sheesh. Two years huh? Who woulda thunk that a couple of mutants woulda wound up with dames like you and the girls," Shiho's ears opened full bloom as she heard the signature dragging of Saundra's heavy tail on the ground. From behind, a pair of slender hands smoothed over Raphael's shoulders and plastron and laced together at the fingers.

"You comin' to bed, Raph?" The gecko eyed her sister with a sneer which Shiho purposely ignored and stuck her nose back into her glass for a long drink. April really knew how to whip up some raspberry tea, Shiho was addicted to the stuff and begged the girl to make her some whenever she was coming down.

Raph tilted his head back and planted a kiss to the underside of his mate's narrow jaw. Her snout pulled back in a sharp toothed grin.

"Yeah, I'm goin'. I'll see you in the mornin', sis," Shiho waved aimlessly as he disappeared upstairs. The gecko didn't move from her spot behind the couch and just kept her eyes steady on the fox.

"You going to say something or just stand there and stare at me all night?"

"You got a lot of nerve talking to Raphael about me," Shiho made a dramatic long roll of her violet eyes and set her nearly finished beverage back down. She stretched her spine and stood to make it crack, her long tail curling in tight against her body as her bones popped.

"You know what? He started that conversation, not me. So save it, I don't have the energy to deal with your attitude tonight, Saundra. Sleep tight," Shiho picked her glass up and moved on towards the kitchen to leave it in the sink to wash it in the morning. Saundra's skin crawled with agitation as her sister just brushed her off without even so much as looking at her. The gecko thought the fox was so smug, acting like she couldn't be bothered.

"Hold it, Shiho. I'm not done yet," Shiho stopped her navigation to the stairs with a grunt.

"Oh my God, Saundra. What is wrong with you, _now?!"_ Shiho was slowly losing her nerve with her sister and felt her hands twitching to scratch the hell out of something. Saundra moved away from the couch and approached her leader with a puffed out chest and bared teeth. The fox remained un-phased and stared at her with the most bored expression which only added fuel to Saundra's ever growing fire. Dirty blonde hair was pulled into a side ponytail, out of her honey-brown eyes so they could glare daggers into Shiho.

"You think you know it all don't you? Just because you're the oldest, the leader, huh? Well I have news for _you_ big sister, you don't have all the answers. You don't know what Marcus is going to do. You sure as hell don't know that I might be captured by other people—"

"Have you taken a good look at yourself? You want to go out in the city in the daylight and ask humans for information. You think that any normal human being is going to take one look at you and _not_ call the police? You don't know what it's like out there, Saundra," The gecko hissed and balled her clawed hands into tight fists. Shiho stood her ground and refused to move, she'd knock her down a notch or two to put her in her place if she had to.

"What makes you so smart?!" Saundra shouted, her voice carrying and echoing through the lair. Shiho clenched her jaw, now she was trying to wake the whole family up. Shiho had enough and wrapped one hand tightly around the gecko's throat and snapped her snout closed with the other. She made sure to dig her nails into the scales and draw blood, her sister wincing as her skin was pierced. Shiho backed her up until she smacked into the wall and held her firmly in place with a sinister grin on her dark lips. Saundra instantly felt the presence of The Madness seeping into Shiho, she could see it in those eyes.

"I know far more than you will ever be able to imagine, baby sister. I'm not about to let you destroy yourself or endanger my family because you feel the need to assert your dominance. You _will," _Shiho's grip around the gecko's neck tightened and her breath caught in her throat. "You _will_ obey my orders, Saundra,"

"Shiho…d-…don't!" Saundra gasped and squirmed. Shiho had more strength than she did in the days of living in the lab. Before, Saundra could have easily brought her to the ground, but now Shiho had the upper hand. A deep, menacing growl rumbled in the core of Shiho's chest that brought fear into Saundra's eyes for the first time.

"What I say goes. Do you understand me? You will not question me, you will definitely not question Leonardo. Or you'll be hurting from a lot more than just exercise flips. Am I making myself clear?" When Saundra didn't answer, Shiho tore her nails deep into her snout.

"Yes! Yes I understand!"

"What is going on down here?" Leo's voice broke the tension between the sisters. He moved in fast when he noticed the rigidity in Shiho's tail and pried her nails out of her sister. "Shiho what are you doing?!"

"Heh. Teaching her a lesson."

"Have you lost your mind? It's been over a year since you last fell into the Madness, do _not_ let it take you again. What happened?" Shiho flicked her wrist and flung droplets of Saundra's blood from under her nails. The gecko choked and rubbed her sore throat where Shiho's hand had been, she wasn't that strong two years ago.

"Why don't you ask her? She's the one who wants to go topside in the daytime and put us all at risk. And _she_ is the one who got in my face first," Shiho didn't take her eyes of her sister for a second while she responded to Leo. He knew what that intensity in her stare meant, if he hadn't interrupted when he did Saundra would either be very unconscious or very dead. Seeing that glow in her eyes brought him back to that night when she'd lost all control and nearly killed Donatello.

"That isn't an excuse. You're the leader, dammit. Act like it," Leo flinched when her gaze snapped at him, that terrifying smirk pulling her lip over her deadly teeth. He couldn't stop the cold sweat that broke out over his skin when she looked at him like that, like he was delicious.

"I was. She won't defy me now, not if she wants to keep that pretty neck of hers in tact," Shiho advanced the cornered reptile once more but was stopped by Leo's arm around her chest. A hot breath seethed between her grinning teeth as Saundra trembled, for the first time, she was afraid of Shiho. And that was just where she wanted her. "Sweet dreams, Saundra,"

Leo gasped when Shiho flipped into a back handspring and went on towards the stairs. He watched her vanish in the darkness of the hallway but could hear her chuckling the entire way. He'd deal with her soon, but now he had Saundra to focus on. She quivered and slid down the wall until she landed on her backside and drew her legs in to her chest. The turtle felt horrible for the girl and knelt down beside her with his hand on her shoulder. It had been quite some time since he'd seen Shiho _that _ angry.

"Are you alright, Sandy?" She couldn't look at him. She was embarrassed beyond all comprehension.

"Y-yeah…I'm fine. It was my fault, really…I started it, she was just ending it like she should," Leo shook his head and looked back to the stairs with a frown. Shiho's mood swings were now growing into a real concern to him, no matter how angry she was…that never happened.

"It doesn't matter. She shouldn't have taken it that far. I'll talk to her and fix it. But you two _need_ to stop fighting. It's getting out of hand and creating a rift."

"Y-yes, Leo. I promise I'll try," That was good enough for him, at least for now. Like the good guy, Leo pulled the gecko to her feet and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Alright…now go to bed. Do not tell Raphael about this. If you think Shiho fighting with you is bad, you don't want to see how those two can get. Just tell him you scratched yourself in your sleep."

"I won't…thanks Leo, for helping me I mean," Leo didn't answer and just nodded his head. Saundra didn't bother sticking around in case Shiho came back and made a sprint to her room to cower beside Raphael. Shiho really put the desired scare that she wanted right into Saundra's very core. Leo didn't like that she'd gone that far and almost lost complete control. Just hours ago she was the beautiful creature of affection that he'd made powerful love to and now it felt like he was losing her to the Madness all over again. He had to stop it before it made even more conflict for him to handle.

"You wanna tell me what the hell that was all about?" Leo demanded, shutting the door behind him. Shiho had crawled back into bed but waited for him to return, sitting up with her nose buried in a book. All signs of the Madness were long gone, but she certainly didn't look sorry. He looked at the katanas on his wall and wondered if he'd ever have to use them on Shiho again. The idea alone made him shudder with disgust.

"Listen Leo, I'm not the least bit sorry for what happened. Saundra has been mouthing off and chesting up to me for years. It's about time I put her in her place," She sounded like she didn't give a damn that Saundra's snout was punctured and bleeding. Sitting up in bed, the fox set down her book and gave Leo her full attention. The Great Gatsby again.

"There's a way to do things, Shiho. You can't force your sister to listen to you by hurting her—"

"Oh yeah? You think so? Gosh, Leo, it looks like I haven't been trying anything different for the last 20 years. Thank you _so _much for pointing that out to me. I'll be sure to write that down," Leo sneered and she glared right back. She wasn't afraid of Leo and he knew it.

"Don't give me that attitude, Shiho. I won't tolerate it."

"She isn't Raphael, Leo. Trust me. I know how to handle my own sister."

"That isn't the point and you know it. You could have really hurt her or worse. I saw what was happening and you were slipping. This fighting between the two of you has to stop." Shiho sighed with a growl, she was getting tired of hearing the same thing about the relationship with Saundra.

"I know, dammit! None of you will understand what I went through with her, what I'm _still_ going through because she refuses to listen. Do you want Aanika to get taken away because she stupidly went topside?" Leo froze. Shiho hit him below the belt to make a point and he didn't like it.

"You know I don't."

"Then let me worry about how to take care of Saundra. I know what I'm doing and I don't need you or anyone else telling me how to handle it. Now, just fucking drop it, Leonardo. I'm sick enough of her as it is, don't make me sick of you, too." Shiho stilled when she saw the look on his face. This had to be the first time they'd ever argued about anything. Leo appeared to be gravely distraught and wounded, the expression marring his handsome face more than she would have liked. He turned to leave and rested his hand on the wall, dropping his head morosely. Shiho sprung out of bed and ducked under his arm bracing against the wall.

"Leo…?" There was undeniable moisture in his eyes that shattered her heart into a million pieces and she couldn't understand why. Shiho had her bouts, but she'd never been this bad or spiteful about it. She'd hurt him, badly. It felt almost as painful as that night he thought she was leaving him for Raphael, that execrable look in his eyes that ripped her heart out of her chest. "Oh God Leo I'm sorry…"

The turtle released a breath of tension and relief when her arms embraced around his neck. A sniffle in his nose held his composure and restrained the dams in his eyes. Strong arms came around the heated vixen and held her tenaciously. Nothing could stop Shiho from feeling regret when she noticed anguish in those eyes of his, Leo could bring her to her knees just by looking at her with an ounce of pain in his eyes. Her reaction was good enough for him to let the subject fizzle down and dissipate. They'd deal with it soon enough.

"I'm sorry, Leo, I'm sorry,"

"Shh…I know, Baby, I know," He whispered into her folded ear. Again, he shushed her gently when she whimpered. "Shhh, it's alright."

"Leonardo.." Shiho said through barely contained sobs.

"You're scaring me, Shiho…" Her eyes squeezed shut when he spoke of his fear. Her nose tucked against his neck as he stood still and held her firm. "You've been so easily provoked and furious lately, it's like you aren't even my girl anymore. My girl who was dancing with me on the roof, my girl that reads stories to our Aanika...You're so different.."

Shiho bit into her lip when he spoke, she hadn't materialized in her head that she'd been more irate these past few weeks and it hurt so bad to hear him come out with it. The last thing she'd ever wanted was for her actions to upset Leo. He felt the muscles in her arms tighten and her grip constrict around his neck as she came to grips with herself.

"I don't know what's going on with me, Leo. But I'm still me. I'll always be your girl," Leo released her just enough to scrutinize her countenance and genuine words.

"Just kiss me, Shiho," Leo said at last. He couldn't take the tension anymore and had to soothe it over. When his favorite smile crept to her beautiful lips, he felt she had returned again and leaned down. Shiho was more than eager to please and kissed him fiercely. Their lips crushed together divinely and fit together when she added a tilt in her head for a better angle. Leo chuckled against her mouth and dragged her back to bed, her toes grazing along the floor as he did so.

One thing was definitely for sure, there was never a dull moment when Shiho was involved. One minute she was passionate and making beautiful love to her mate and the next she was literally at her sister's throat with a fierce and imminent glare in her eyes. Preparing for their next dangerous venture was going to be vexing.

Leo remained confident that he'd keep his family and his mate safe. He didn't care how difficult it was going to be, how exhausting and trying, he'd do it. For Shiho. For his brothers. For Aanika.

For his family.

* * *

**A/N: I had a fight playing out in my head between Shiho and Saundra, but then I thought it would be too close between chapters for one of those. So I decided to go with the forcing fear approach. I dunno, it sounded saucy to me! And! DUN-DUNNN. Leo and Shiho's first real fight D: Good lawd! Heh, next chapter will be up soon! Gotta take my puppy to the vet tomorrow ._. Not sure how much time I'll have to write. But, enjoy my duckies!**


	20. Hold My Hair

**A/N: Thank you guys SO much for your reviews! Granted, a bunch of them are comming from unregistered guests but I'm still able to see them in my e-mail. You readers are amazing and so supportive of my material Back to the story! It's just a silly-ish chapter to keep the heat down for a little while longer before the conflict rises once again. You know, the whole "calm before the storm" thing. So, worry not, the juicy stuff is coming!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

_One thing was definitely for sure, there was never a dull moment when Shiho was involved. One minute she was passionate and making beautiful love to her mate and the next she was literally at her sister's throat with a fierce and imminent glare in her eyes. Preparing for their next dangerous venture was going to be vexing. _

_Leo remained confident that he'd keep his family and his mate safe. He didn't care how difficult it was going to be, how exhausting and trying, he'd do it. For Shiho. For his brothers. For Aanika._

_For his family._

* * *

The amount of training and conditioning that Leo was putting his brothers and the hybrids through had doubled and intensified. He hadn't heard anything from Karai as of yet about the brewing situation with Micah and Marcus, just about two weeks. The fighting between Shiho and Saundra didn't get any better. It wasn't getting worse, but progress just wasn't being made with the two. Shiho was stubborn and hard headed whilst colliding with Saundra who was ill-tempered and reckless, they were a chemical mixture and combined they were a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode. The family functioned around the angry bubble that surrounded the two sisters, pretending that nothing was happening made the days easier to get through.

Today was balance and focus. Leo had set up the tall bamboo poles that Splinter had used when he and the brothers were still teenagers. The boys thought they had seen the last of those awful sticks when Splinter retired. But Leo was headstrong to refresh their focus and steady their equilibriums and he wasn't taking lip from anyone. Spread out in front of him to his right were the turtles and to his left the sister hybrids, Shiho included. Her skills had long since gotten rusty and he ordered for a polishing. So there they all stood on one foot each. Donnie, Shiho, Fiona, and Aanika stayed perfectly still with their hands pressed together for intense focus. Raph, Mikey, and Saundra on the other hand all wobbled and made noises in their attempts to stay up.

Shiho stayed silent and did her best to keep her focus, but today just wasn't her day. She'd woken up this morning, early, and was already feeling less than perfect and substantial. But of course, she wasn't about to tell Leo; he'd make her stay in bed all day. So with a stiff upper lip the vixen had her breakfast after showering and threw it up not more than two hours later. Like she suspected, Leo panicked. He always did when she was less than herself. Getting sick more times after that didn't put his worry back in his shell and he protested against her training today. Shiho was born defiant and was going to do what she wanted and he was all too aware of her thick spine. He saved the argument and just let her work with everyone else.

"Michelangelo, find your center and hold it there. Raphael, you're leaning too far forward. Saundra, too loud. Come on guys, focus. How can we expect to be light and quick on our feet if you can't even do a simple balance exercise?" Leo said, opening one eye to observe his family. Shiho rocked her tail back and forth as a counter weight, Aanika and Fiona quickly copied her movements and found that staying up was easy. Saundra flailed her hands and swung her free foot around trying to not topple over, she was quickly getting frustrated.

"Rrrgg…this is stupid, Leo…Maggie is going to come at us with her teeth, not poles," Saundra said with a scowl. Leo silently glared at the gecko for a warning. But Shiho inflicted more fear with a bright flash in those violet eyes. She warned Saundra to not question Leonardo's orders and she meant it.

"What did I tell you, Saundra?" She warned, her voice low but steady. The gecko clammed up and fought to find her center but wailed when Leo launched at her with his foot. He knocked her onto her tail and she landed with a thump and a groan.

"Leo! What the hell did you do that for—AHH-AH!" Raph started but was fast on his shell beside his mate when Donatello jumped over him to land on an unoccupied pole. His red-masked brother shook his fist and growled angrily as the other sisters hopped from pole to pole effortlessly without making a sound. Mikey wobbled wildly and went forward and smacked onto his belly.

"I'm okay…ohhh man…" he groaned. The smallest of the foxes giggled quite playfully and rocked her pole back and forth until she sprung forward into Leo's chest, catching him by surprise and knocking the wind out of him. His eyes bulged and he opened his mouth to yell but stopped short when he hit the ground with a loud SMACK on his shell.

"Dude! You go Mini!" Mikey cheered. Leo grumbled and shook his head after rubbing the dome. On his chest sat a very cheeky little fox with a grin that reached across each side of her face and her tail wiggling sporadically behind her.

"Daddy down! I WIN!" Shiho laughed so hard that she found herself snorting as she landed on her feet after Fiona. The sisters clutched each other howling and guffawing at Leo's expense until they were falling into themselves and onto their knees. Leo didn't find his attack half as amusing as his mate and her sister did, but the little fox was more than pleased with herself that she managed to catch him off his guard like his brothers had been trying to do for years.

"I am _so_ going to spank your butt later," he said, reaching forward and tapping the tip of her nose with his finger. Leo managed to stand and trap her in the tight snare of his arms and kiss all over her face with obnoxious loud smooches to make her squeal. When she shrieked and chortled while pulling against his hold, Leo drowned her in even more and flipped her onto her back against his forearm to assault her belly with tickling fingers. "Yeah! How about that you little gremlin!"

Shiho snuffed and leaned against her pole with her hands on the top and her cheek against the side with her eyes on her mate and Aanika. Leo never failed to put that child into a mad fit of giggles until she was red in the face and on the verge tears. The family disbanded as training looked like it was over; Raphael and Saundra went off to lift weights and punch the bag, Donnie and Fiona disappeared into his workshop, Mikey scuttled away into his little comic book and video game fortress. Shiho couldn't imagine the harmony of her family being torn open by Marcus and Micah, it made her heart sore to know that it was going to be halted sometime soon.

"Mama! Help!" Aanika screeched through her cackles with an outstretched hand. Leo lifted her shirt and raspberried her tummy jovially and she wriggled and writhed.

"Hehe, alright now! Don't take all the giggles out of my child, we might need some more later," Shiho said. Leo winked at her as she advanced with that smile of his that made her heart skip a beat and break out into a quick sweat. Aanika's short arms were latched around Leo's neck as she leaned up to nuzzle under his chin like Shiho often did, she's been mimicking her and everyone more it seemed.

"She started it. Not bad, she knocked me down. Sneaky little thing," he nuzzled his small fox right back. Shiho came closer but suddenly stopped with a falter in her step. "Woah, Babe. You okay?"

"Mama!" Leo nearly dropped Aanika when he sprung forward and caught his mate. She hadn't tripped but suddenly collapsed. Her eyes were hazy and crossing together as he lightly smacked her on the cheek to bring her to.

"Shiho?...Shiho! Dammit, Donnie! Bring your first aid kit!" She was there, but not as coherent as he'd like her to be. She wasn't even working her body; he knew she shouldn't have been training but damn that stubborn temper of hers. Not two seconds later, Donatello swooped in and was at his brother's side with the little medical kit in his hands. The first thing he brought out was his mini flashlight and held her eyelids open, flashing the beam into the hazy optics.

"Shiho? Can you hear me?" Donatello's voice was muffled in her buzzing ears but she was able to understand and nodded, squinting under his light. "Pupil dilation is normal and her eyes are clear. She doesn't appear to have a fever either. But man her pulse is through the roof…What happened?"

"I don't freaking know. One minute she was talking to me, I look down at Aanika for a second and look up then she was going down," Leo knelt with his woozy fox and gently shook her to try and rouse her. Shiho groaned and swiped at the air, just missing Donnie's face with her nails.

"Has she eaten today?" Donnie asked, opening her ears and looking inside them for anything. Clear.

"She had some eggs and fruit this morning at about 7, meditated with me, and got sick about two hours later. She hasn't been able to keep much of anything down today. I told her to sit out on training today, but you know how she is," The genius held his chin and hummed in thought. He pondered if he should run a blood test to see if she was becoming anemic, but he knew for a fact she'd put up a fight with that.

"Fruit or eggs might have been outdated. Go put her to bed and keep an eye on her. I'll ask April if she can pick us up some chicken broth or something. She's a little lethargic and needs something in her," Leo picked up his sickly vixen and looked around for Aanika. The little one was ducking behind Donatello's leg and whimpering, almost like she did when she first came into the lair. "Hey, she'll be okay. She just doesn't feel good. Like that time when you got that yucky flu, remember?"

"Yuck. Mama sick?"

"Mhmm. Go ahead and take her up Leo, I'll keep an eye on Shortstack here and give April and Casey a call," His brother nodded shortly and brought Shiho up against his plastron with a scowl. It wasn't normal for Shiho to get sick, she didn't even have allergies. She was still having a difficult time keeping her eyes open and focused, all she could see was the blurry outline of the underside of Leo's jaw. Her other senses weren't dulled, her hearing was crystal clear and she could hear every grunt and grumble Leo made as he made his way up the steps. He had the habit of mumbling to himself when he became troubled and confused.

"Leo…'m okay, really," She said as he set her down in bed. With a long exhale, the ninja removed her shorts and shoes to tuck her in. Shiho sighed with a heave in her shoulders.

"You're not okay. You've been sick since you woke up this morning, you shouldn't have even been training," The fox slipped her bare legs under the covers and unhooked her bra from inside her shirt and slid the straps off her arms. If he was making her lie down, she was at least going to be unrestrained. Leo piled her clothes and set them in the hamper for laundry later before sitting on the side of their bed. Shiho pressed her cheek against his bicep and hugged his arm, his hand resting on her thigh. "What were you thinking?"

"Oh Leo, don't be such a wuss. I'm just a little fluey. Nothing to worry—"

"You collapsed, dunce. That isn't 'nothing', _something_ is wrong. I'm gonna ask Don to draw some blood and see if he can find anything," Leo leaned in and pressed his palm against her forehead after moving violet bangs away out of her face. Shiho huffed, annoyed. She still couldn't see clearly but she'd still try for a glare.

"You know I hate that…"

"Yeah, but you aren't going to tell me if you feel like shit or not, so I'm going to let the tests tell me. Now shut-up and go to sleep. April will be by later with something for you to eat. Hey," Leo turned her gaze on him when she looked away to stare at the wall in her irritation. She hated being babied and treated like a weakling, being waited on and fed. "Just let me take care of you, okay?"

Dammit, he had to give her that look that he knew would defeat her ill-temper. Leo was always looking for the chance to take care of her the way she did for him and everyone else. Shiho gave 100% of herself all the time without ever asking for much in return. Now, it was Leo's turn to make sure that she was better and healthy once again. But she was going to fight him on it, he knew that. Shiho was a horrible patient, keeping her in bed when she was injured was a pill. She'd find ways to sneak out and do exactly what Donatello told her not to and wound up hurting herself more. Leo didn't understand her, but her oddities made her that much more adorable.

"I'm not going to be quarantined am I?"

"….No? Why would we do that?" Shiho's face fell straight when she looked at him, he chuckled. She was cute when she was flustered.

"Because. Mikey catches a cold and you guys lock him up in his room like he has parvo. I've had my head in the toilet every few hours today, what's gonna happen to me?" Gathering her hands and kissing the tops of her knuckles, he smoothed over the joints with his thumbs and smiled at her. Now that he had the chance to get a good look at her, Leo realized she looked like shit. Her normally clear eyes were bloodshot, her complexion wasn't as tan as it usually was, and the dark circles under her eyes made her look like she hadn't slept in days.

"You'll be fine, Babe. Now go to sleep, I need to go speak with Donatello and then I'll come back and check on you. You better be asleep when I get back,"

"Putz.." She said, sticking her tongue out.

"Spazz. Sleep," He blew out the candle on his nightstand and left her alone to rest, much to her displeasure. Her grumbling and muttering made him smile, at least her personality was still in tact. He knew she was hating it, but he needed her healthy and able to fend off anyone who might have bad plans for her. Le owas going to do his best to protect her, but he still had Aanika to keep safe.

Donnie certainly wasn't looking forward to sticking a sick Shiho with a needle to get blood out of her arm. She'd scarred him once already, he couldn't imagine how upset she'd be when she found out he needed to run more tests. Sometimes, it sucked being the genius.

* * *

When you live in a house full of mutants and hybrids and one of the leaders falls sick, it's easy to say that you desperately wish for a vacation on a tropical island as far away from home as possible. At least, that's how Donatello was feeling. With Shiho out of commission for the day and Leo holed up in their room beside her, there was no one to keep the peace. Trying to do lab work when Michelangelo is goofing around on his hoverboard or when Raphael and Saundra are bickering is like trying to defuse a nuclear bomb. Nearly impossible.

At least he was being kept quiet company by Fiona and Aanika. The tiny fox had tuckered herself out while running around with Mikey and was curled up under Donnie's desk like some domestic cat. Shiho never really liked the idea that he'd even put a large pillow under there for her to nap on, but it kept her quiet and out of everyone's hair. So she didn't exactly protest it. Fiona was buried in one of the astronomy books that April had found in the shop, she hasn't put it down since she got it. Donnie was trying to figure out what was going on with Shiho today at Leo's request, but without that blood sample, he was stuck.

"So, what are you reading up on now?" Donnie said, not taking his eyes away from his microscope. He was looking at a blood sample that Fiona was kind enough to give up for him, quite unlike her older sister.

"Wormhole theories. You know, it's amazing to think that some scientists believe that interstellar transportation is possible in a matter of seconds. Falling into different dimensions, too," Donnie had to chuckle. If she only knew.

"Haha, well, we know all about different dimensions. You wouldn't believe the worlds we've seen. Although, I could go without ever stepping foot onto that bug planet that April had gotten lost in. The wasps there will make you soil yourself," Fiona poked her nose above the top of her book with curious grey eyes. In her big bean-bag chair, she wiggled until she was curled into a comfortable book worm ball.

"How did you guys travel to all of those dimensions, Don? I don't think Yellow Cab travels that far," She said with a giggle.

"Well, the Battle Nexus for one is a portal that you have to open with symbols and chanting. A majority of the others we stumbled into by accident. And some we were thrown into. Like once, all of us were separated into different dimensions by this insane dragon named Draco who had fused bodies with the Daimyo's son."

Donnie could tell by the way she dog-eared her page and rested the book in her lap that she was very interested in this tale. Fiona loved stories, much more than any of her sisters. She enjoyed being transported to other places and times through Donatello's storytelling. He found it endearing that his mate enjoyed his company and memories, she was a lot more fun to be around than his brothers when it came to his discoveries.

"Well, for starters, there were these two rather disturbed beings from the Battle Nexus dimension; the Daimyo's son and Draco. Both were sent into what we thought was oblivion but they wound up fusing bodies. But anyway, somehow they managed to find us in the old lair in New York and sent every single one of us into a different world. Mine was...not as cheerful as everyone elses."

Right he was, that particular experience gave him nightmares for years. Seeing his other worldly brothers aged by thirty years and slain before his eyes. He was hardly ever able to shake that disturbed and fearful feeling. The turtle left his mate hanging in curiosity and wonder, the doe-eyed look on her face egged him on to keep moving.

"Eh…I can't really get into that story, actually, Fi. It's honestly just too upsetting to even think about let alone re-tell it," Donnie twisted his mouth into a frown as he turned back to his microscope. The red fox chewed her lip and pulled her ears back, Donnie rarely shut her out, but when he did it never failed to sting just a little. Before she had the chance to apologize, there was a knock on his open door.

"Donnie! I'm here about a sick fox?"

"Hey, April. Thanks for coming by. I tried giving her some toast and Gatorade but she just can't keep it down," Don shut down his microscope and left to walk with April. Fiona's brow twitched slightly as he disappeared. It wasn't that she didn't like April, she just didn't like April _alone_ with Donatello. He always became this chipper and excited turtle whenever she was around, being jealous was something that ran deep in the hybrids. And Fiona was absolutely green with envy. To keep her mouth shut, she decided to stay in the workshop and try her best to read some more all the while keeping an ear trained on the open door for anything.

"There she is. Oh jeez, you _do_ look like hell," Shiho was laying on Leo's plastron her ears flopped to the sides of her head and her face tucked into the crook of his neck. Even her tail lost its wiggling luster. Donnie had left April with the fox and went back to his work shop only to find a jealous, irritated Fiona buried deep into her book.

"You're so kind, April. What'dya bring me?"

"Some soup and raspberry iced tea," Said the redhead with emphasis on the tea. The little treat brought those tall ears back up as the fox managed to sit up. April set down a plaid thermos full of homemade soup and a travel cup of chilly tea. Leo sat on his side of the bed with his arms folded behind his head, releasing the grip he'd had around her waist. She became a cuddling beast when she felt like crap, he didn't seem to mind.

"Well, it's easy to see what gets her excited. Thanks April. This sort of caught us by surprise."

"Ah forget it, Leo. You guys have saved my hide countless times. Heh, but could you excuse us for a moment, I have something I wanna ask Shiho," Leo opened his mouth to protest, but a glance from his vixen snapped his jaw closed and he sat up to leave. But not without a kiss to her forehead, of course.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me," He said.

"Thanks, Babe," Shiho said with a lazy wink. Once he closed the door her attention snapped to April who brought a narrow box out of her purse. "Alright, what do you want?"

"Go pee on the stick," April demanded, tossing her sickly friend a pregnancy test. If Shiho weren't so nauseous, she'd bust a gut laughing.

"Ohh sweet April. You're joking, right?" The redhead stood with her arms folded across her chest and a crooked brow. She certainly didn't look like she was joking, maybe she was just crazy. Shiho tossed the box back at her and shook her head. "Nuh-uh. I'm not pregnant. It's impossible."

"Just go take it, would ya?"

"I'm not gonna pee on the stick!"

"Go pee on it!" April shouted back.

"I'm not gonna!"

"You will if you want this," April reached forward and grabbed the travel cup full of Shiho's favorite tea and shook it in her hand. Violet eyes narrowed and a scowl cranked on those dark lips.

"…anyone ever tell you that you play dirty?" Shiho said, climbing out of bed and swiping her shorts out of the hamper to put on. April set the travel cup down and smirked victoriously. That fox was so easy to read. Shiho swiped that box out of April's hands with a grumble and waddled out of the room. "It's not going to prove anything. How many are in here?"

"Two," She said, following her into the bathroom and shutting the door and locking it. Leo looked up to the walkway in confusion as both girls disappeared into the bathroom, his curiosity tugging at him to go take a look.

"This is so humiliating. I have to pee on both of them?"

"Yep."

"Does Donnie know you brought these over? If he did I'm going to pound him into his shell," The irritated fox stuck one of the test sticks between her legs and waited a few seconds and then stuck the other down. Her ears flattened as she closed the absorbent ends and set them on the counter.

"No, of course not. But he described how you were doing and I just had a hunch."

"This is so stupid…okay, now we wait—"

"Girls? What's going on in there?" Leo knocked on the door and scared Shiho right off the toilet into the bathtub with a thud. Luckily, she'd finished peeing.

"U-uh…n-nothing Leo! She just started feeling like she was going to get sick again so I came with her. No need to worry Hehehe," On the other side of the door, Leo stared trying to see through the barrier like some sort of science fiction geek who wanted x-ray vision. April was pressed against the door with her hand on the knob to make sure he wouldn't get in.

"Hmm…alright. Just make sure she gets back into bed."

"Worry-wart," Shiho snorted, upside down in the tub.

"I heard that, Shiho!" She squealed and scrambled to get back to her feet. She was feeling better, Leo just insisted that she stay holed up in their room until tomorrow. Having such a compassionate mate had its downfalls when Shiho wanted to stretch her legs. But she did enjoy spending all day in bed with him next to her, that had to be the only silver lining she could find about this situation.

April pressed her ear against the door and checked underneath to make sure Leo had walked away. Once the coast was clear, she scuttled over to the counter to take a look at the tests as Shiho was crawling out of the tub to stand beside her. Her fingers ran through her hair to relieve the strands of the tangles she'd sustained in her stumble. April was wobbling eagerly back and forth as the symbols started to appear in the small windows.

"Almost there. Hey, how have you and Leo been, anyway? I see the guys but never get to see you two anymore," Shiho closed the toilet lid and sat on it with a shrug.

"We're fine. He's been a little more protective than usual when I need to go into the city, but with the circumstances I can't say I blame him," She said, absentmindedly scratching behind her ear and twitching it back and forth wildly. Her tail tapped impatiently on the bathroom floor, waiting. Shiho hated waiting. But the tapping stilled when April picked up the first test and started to read it, looking at the box for reference.

"Hmm…this one is negative—"

"Told you!"

"Ah-ah, we still have one more which is….negative," Shiho crooked her brow with a very satisfied smirk. As if to say _I told you so, Dope._

"Oh don't give me that look. These things give false negatives and positives all the time. Let's go get Donnie for a blood test—"

"Apriiiil! Just accept it. I just caught a day bug. I'm not knocked up, it's impossible. First, Leo is a turtle, a reptile! Second, I don't even know if I can _get_ pregnant. If you knew how many chemicals and junk were pumped into my veins you'd understand. Besides, we have Aanika. Leo's happy with that," Shiho grabbed both tests and wrapped them in a wad of toilet paper before tucking them into the trash. The last thing she needed was one of the brothers finding pregnancy tests. They'd never leave her alone.

"I know. He loves Aanika like his own, doesn't he? It surprised me when she first reached out to him."

"He does. Aanika adores him and follows him everywhere when she gets the chance. We're fine the way we are, really. I've accepted it, I did when I realized I loved Leo," April sighed a stream of air and tussled her bangs as she did so, a smile on her bright red lips. Her smile faded when she noticed Shiho turning a shade of green.

"You okay?"

"Hold my hair back will ya?"

* * *

**A/N: What a terribe patient Shiho is right? Now, who else other than me wants Leo as a boyfriend when you're sick? I mean really, think about it. He's possibly the most compassionate one out of the bunch with family first on the brain. I'd personally love to snuggle up against that stud when I don't feel well. OOOOH I can dream. Okay I'm done fantasizing. Next chapter will be up soon. Hopefully I'll have this bad boy finished before I leave state in 2 weeks for an extended trip. Getting my scoliosis fixed! Thanks duckies! Read and Review!**


	21. Sing Me A Song

**A/N: Hello duckies! Another chapter for ya is up and ready! More reviews, YAY! Hehehe, I sure do love em. Okay, so, for envisioning what my gecko hybrid, Saundra looks like; just imagine an anthromorphic gecko with light tan/yellowish skin with brown spots and a pale tummy. But built like a hot chick with dirty blonde, layered hair. That should make it easier. But anyway, ONTO THE STORY!  
**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

"_I know. He loves Aanika like his own, doesn't he? It surprised me when she first reached out to him."_

"_He does. Aanika adores him and follows him everywhere when she gets the chance. We're fine the way we are, really. I've accepted it, I did when I realized I loved Leo," April sighed a stream of air and tussled her bangs as she did so, a smile on her bright red lips. Her smile faded when she noticed Shiho turning a shade of green._

"_You okay?"_

"_Hold my hair back will ya?"_

* * *

A spark of electricity. The rattling of chains. The overwhelming fever. The lust. Micah was slowly understanding what it was like living in Shiho's shoes all these years. Surrendering himself to Marcus had seemed like a good idea, like it was going to bring Shiho back so they could be together. But Marcus Silver had other plans, all of which revolved around destroying his first creation along with the rest of her insufferable sisters so he could start with a clean slate and try again. No, surrendering to Marcus only meant one thing; The Madness. Micah had only ever been on the receiving end of Shiho's deadly Madness but never experienced the pain that came with falling into it. For the past year...his eyes were being opened to her suffering

For the past year, he knew Madness.

Marcus was fast in creating The Madness in his male hybrid. If fighting fire with fire was the only way to cut down that disobedient girl and her turtle pets then that was exactly what he was going to do. Once Micah had sworn absolute loyalty once again to his creator, Marcus wasted no time in turning Micah into the very beast he feared the most. Unknown to everyone, Marcus had preserved a sample of the mutagen that made Shiho the monster that she was. He knew back then he might need it to save himself. The male fox hadn't felt such an overwhelming desire to mutilate…to succumb to his most primal and savage desires. The Madness had infected his mind after a series of painful injections to his arms and brain stem. Marcus wanted to see just how effective this round of mutating had become.

Staring down into Micah's holding cell, the male fox crawling about and wailing and screaming from the pain in his muscles and head, Marcus stood firm with his arms folded over his broad chest. To his left squirming in a swiveling chair was Magdalena, giggling with her hands pressed against the display glass. Her cruel blue eyes sparkled with more enjoyment than ever watching the fox struggle with his sanity. Shiho didn't scream as much as Micah did, he must be so much weaker than his female counterpart.

"Oh Daddy just look at him! Should we send him after Big Sister or let those men in the ugly black pajamas go get her?" Marcus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose to thwart off the impending headache that the blonde was bringing on.

"The Foot, dear. And I don't think I'll be needing them after all. Karai thinks she's so clever but I know she's been passing information on to the turtles. No, Shiho will come to us. And when she does…" Marcus pressed the red button on the remote in his hand. Below, Micah screamed from his gut as a wave of electricity was sent through his body from the shackles around his neck and wrists. "She'll have a little welcoming party with Micah down there. Maggie?"

"Hm?" Her tall ear opened but her eyes didn't leave the writhing male in the cell. It was too interesting to look away from.

"Go down and play with Micah. I want to see just how angry he can really get."

"What? B-…But Daddy…he'll hurt me," She said, a rise in her voice as a river of ice flooded her veins. Marcus didn't look at her, but smirked something sinister and narrowed his eyes.

"Exactly. If he gets out of hand, I'll put him down for a nap. Now go!" He barked. Magdalena flinched and bolted out of her chair. Her tail tucked firmly between her legs, she'd often battled with Shiho in her fits of Madness. But she wasn't anywhere near familiar with how Micah will behave under the darkness. Marcus still didn't take his gaze off the black fox which only added fuel to her pity party. "I said go, Maggie!"

"Y-yes! Going!"

* * *

The girls had all ventured into the steam room that Donatello had just finished for the moments after training. Even Aanika relished in the luxuries of the steam and the heat had for her little muscles that ached. Shiho lounged stretched out on the bench against the right wall in that bitchin' bikini she'd bought while out with April a few weeks ago. Fiona felt more reserved wrapped in a towel and sitting beside Saundra. They all had their hair pulled back into buns and wore expressions of pure bliss. The fox leader invited her beloved April to join them and bask in the wonders of Donnie's hard work. While outside, Michelangelo and Casey tried desperately to peer in through the fogged up port hole window.

"Dude, April and Shiho are smokin' babes," Mikey said, giggling like a fool. Casey grunted and covered his orange masked eyes with a gloved hand and shoved him away from the window so he could have a turn. They could hear the girls talking, but their voices were muffled, but their giggles added to their stupid curiosity.

"What do ya think they're saying?" Casey said, trying to wipe the window like an idiot.

"That Mikey is the coolest, most bodacious ninja dude they've ever seen. And that they all want him—OW!" A hand smacked into the back of Mikey's green head with a loud THWAP.

"What exactly are you two goons doin'? If Leo catches you lookin' in on his girl you're both toast. I oughta beat the stuffin' outta you for peekin' at _my_ girl." It was Raph, spinning a sai around his finger. Mikey tapped his fingers together nervously and chuckled, elbowing Casey in the ribs.

"I-it was HIS idea!"

"HEY! Don't throw _me _under the bus!" Casey tackled Michelangelo to the ground and they rolled away throwing cheap punches and kicks. Raph took a look himself through the round window and chuckled. Then he heard Shiho's voice coming closer and the door opened right into his face before he could back up. It smacked him in the nose and sent him onto his shell.

"Ohhh shell! What the heck was that for?!"

"Raph? What the hell are you doing? Spying on us!?" Shiho demanded, her hands placed firmly on her luscious hips. Leo heard the ruckus and came to investigate. His eyes bulged at the sight of his vixen in a pristine white little bikini and her sun-kissed skin beaded with steam and sweat. It was all he could do to not put his hands on her.

"Hey don't look at me! It was Mikey and that bonehead Casey who were spyin'. I was just trying to get 'em away from the door!" Raph shouted holding his nose, still on his shell. Shiho rolled violet hues and shook her body like an animal, ridding the fur on her tail and in her ears of moisture. Leo couldn't understand why he was so turned on watching her shake like that. From the tops of her ears to the tip of her tail, the vixen threw water all over the place with a squeal.

"Woah, never knew you had those rib tats, sis. I always saw the stars on your wrists and neck but never those," Raph said, climbing to his feet with Saundra's help. His beak ached like a bitch after that smack; it was going to be sore for a few days.

Shiho chuckled and hastily rubbed her palms against her ribcage over those black swirling designs, Leo had to chew his lip to stand his ground. Damn that bikini was definitely working on her; dainty strings tied her bottoms together below her hips and hung low on her pelvis. Her adorable pelvis bones poking through her yummy, tanned skin. He couldn't even look at her face without noticing her rather bountiful chest being held up quite nicely by the white bikini top. If there was ever a more perfect occasion for a wolf whistle, now would be the time.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told Leo once, it's only because you've never seen me this naked," Shiho said with a wink and strode right past Leo, but not without thwapping him in the face with her damp tail as a tease. Saundra clenched her teeth together and squeezed Raphael's arm to get his attention off Shiho's wiggling ass. She had quite the nerve to openly flirt like that and Leo wasn't doing a damn thing to stop her. Just standing there watching her with Raph, like a pair of slaw-jawed idiots.

"God she's such a twat…" Mumbled the obviously jealous gecko. Her reaction lured a chuckled out of Raphael as his fingers tickled underneath her chin.

"S'matter with you? You aren't jealous of your own sister are ya?" Leo exchanged uneasy glances with Fiona who held Aanika on her hip. April told him with her eyes that they should probably leave before things got hairy. Silently, they snuck away from the two hot-heads. Aanika jumped down from her sister's embrace and crawled like a monkey up the back of Leo's shell and hung there, giggling as they walked away. Saundra stared at them until they were out of earshot before punching Raph in the arm.

"OW! Jeez, the hell was that for?" He said, rubbing his bicep. What was it about these sisters and hitting like guys?

"Really? You don't know? I saw you looking at her like a piece of meat. Jesus, Raph. At least _try _to not be so obvious," She huffed, drying off her moist scales with a fluffy towel. Her tail angrily thumped on the floor behind her.

"Ah shell, not this again. What is your problem, Saundra? You act like I'm interested in her when I'm not. Shiho is my sister, you bonehead. Leo's mate, I could never look at her the way he does or the way you _think_ I do, that's just gross. Stop being so jealous of her and just get along with her," he said, trying to keep his voice down.

"Tch, that's rich. You fight with Leo all the time and you're telling me to get along with Shiho. Hah! You know I hope Marcus keeps her, that'll be one less person telling me what to do," Her voice echoed off the walls slightly in the silence that Raph had left. He stared at her incredulously, trying to convince himself that he hadn't actually heard what he did.

"Are you serious? You _want_ Shiho to get taken away? Look I may fight with Leo but I would never want anythin' to happen to him. Shiho is just tryin' to protect you and all you do is get her face or talk smack behind her back. I'm gettin' tired of this, Saundra," Raph folded his arms and metaphorically put his foot down.

This wasn't fair! Why did everyone turn against Saundra and defend Shiho like she was some sort of saint? Now, not even her mate was sticking up for her and agreeing with her like she thought he would. Saundra was beginning to feel the threads in her mind unraveling and her cool slipping.

"Shiho is only protecting herself. She's selfish, Raphael, and none of you seem to notice that. I hear she almost killed Donatello and yet you all are still up in arms about her like she's some God send."

"Hey, she didn't do it on purpose and she begged Donnie for weeks for him to forgive her even after he already did. She _still_ feels terrible about hurtin' him. You weren't there, Saundra, and have no room to judge her. Shiho and the rest of us, we're all you got. So you better suck it up and get along with her." Both of the mates were at each other's chest, glowering at one another with bared teeth through scowls. Saundra blazed a menacing glare at Raphael and he returned it with just as much intensity.

"You know, I'm really disappointed in you, Sandy. Family is everything, and you treat the only family you've ever had like the enemy. What are you gonna do when Silver and his little clone groupie come after you? You think Shiho is gonna save you after all you've put her through?" When his mate decided to snap her snout shut and fold her arms, he took a step back and shook his head. Yeah, he and Leo had their moments when they'd butt heads but it was only ever temporary and they always had each other's backs.

"The sad thing is, she would still fight for you, Sandy. Because Shiho will put her family before herself, including you. Think about that the next time you want to fight her, no matter how many times you strike her, or argue with her, she's still going to protect you," Raphael's words left a foul taste in the back of Saundra's throat. She didn't like that he was right. Shiho always defended Saundra back in the lab when Marcus would send Maggie after her for exercise. It often left Shiho wounded and Saundra never so much as thanked her afterwards.

Raphael could easily see the internal struggle his mate was having with her conscience. He'd had it himself, he still battles it from time to time when Leo gives him an order he doesn't agree with. In her honey-brown eyes he saw the tears welling up and eventually spill over without her control with a heavy, shaky sigh. When he reached his hand out to caress her neck, the gecko instead rushed him and threw her arms around his thick neck. She wasn't about to admit how weak she was feeling, but he knew. A kiss to the top of her head and a supportive rub against her back, Raph nuzzled his beak against her shoulder.

"One step at a time, San, no one is making you do it all at once. You just gotta let this anger go, you understandin' me?" Saundra didn't speak but nodded against the plate of his plastron. He looked up from her shoulder to see Shiho leaning her right shoulder against the brick wall in the hallway to the steam and training room. Her left leg crossed lazily over her right with her toes pressing against the ground. She must have heard Saundra but by the smile on her face, she heard the whole thing.

"Come on, woman. Let's go watch some TV or pick on Mikey. That's always fun," He said with a slight chuckle. The gruffness in his voice always seemed to be a factor of comfort to the gecko because when he spoke, she relaxed and her muscles released their tension when she turned around. Luckily, Shiho was gone. She was getting better at the ninja thing.

The battle between the sisters was exhausting to keep up with and have a grip on. When the two of them would get in each other's faces is when Leo and Raph really had to execute their brute strength to get the girls off each other but not before Saundra received a good, hard smack to the face. The brothers tossed ideas back and forth to get the sisters on even ground; Shiho needed to get a handle on her temper and Saundra just needed to listen. The oldest was slowly losing her nerve and capacity to keep her claws to herself these days and was becoming faster and stronger in her hits. Leo's training was, if anything, effective in his mate.

For now, Leo and Shiho sat with Aanika trying to get her to sleep after another adventurous bath. Dealing with the ongoing fued with the sisters was in the backs of their minds. The turtle and vixen had eyelids like lead and they weren't getting any lighter with a hyper toddler bouncing around in her bed. Leo would have to personally thank April for introducing his kid to the wonders of Skittles before bed time.

"Story, Daddy, story!" She squealed, crawling under the blankets at the foot of her little bed. Leo sat on one side of her pillow and Shiho lounged on the other side, the spastic mini fox eagerly nuzzling into his arm which he lifted to wrap around her. Shiho's glossy lips twisted into a smirk, her violet eyes sparkling in amusement at Leo's expression. In an attempt to calm his little ninja, Leo smoothed his palm from the top of her head to the side of her face, over and over until the caressing slowed and she settled.

"Hmm…I don't know. We told you a story last night, Nika. What do you think, Mama?" With the attention turned on Shiho, the toddler changed positions and snuggled against her instead. Leo did that on purpose, she knew by the silent chuckle that shook his shoulders.

"How about a song, Baby?" Leo smiled; he knew just the song Shiho would sing. It was the one she always sang to put Aanika to sleep or to ease one of his brothers after a bad injury or nightmare. Mikey was the most receptive of her special song that she'd learned years ago from a movie that Marcus had let her watch.

"Stars, Mama. Stars!" Both mates chuckled and settled on the wall that the head of Aanika's bed sat against. The little fox nuzzled Shiho's lap but stretched her arm out to grasp Leo's hand and hold it tight, her fine brunette strands being run through by Shiho's elegant fingers. The vixen took a breath and started to make that beautiful, angelic ring that made Leo fall all over again. She began with rhythmic humming, already, the little one was snuggling deep into her pillow.

_When you're all alone  
far away from home  
there's a gift the angel sent  
when you're alone._

Aanika's short tail came around her as she curled up and listened. Leo leaned his head back and grazed her small hand with his thumb. Shiho didn't look up from her settling little one and didn't notice the way he was staring.

_Everyday must end  
but the night's our friend  
angels always send a star  
when you're alone._

Outside the shared bedroom, the other three turtles gathered and sat on the floor to listen. It was really the only lullaby they'd ever known and the only song to put them at ease. Shiho had a way with that voice of hers.

_At night when I'm alone  
I lie awake and wonder,  
Which of them belongs to me,  
which one I wonder?_

Shiho looked up and smiled through moving lips and winked at Leo. Aanika was still fighting sleep but was losing.

_And any star I choose  
watches over me  
so I know I'm not alone  
when I'm here on my own_

_Isn't that a wonder?_  
_When you're alone_  
_you're not alone_  
_not really alone._

The vixen paused for a moment to glance at the open doorway when she heard one of the boys sigh contently and silently giggled to herself. They never changed. Now, Saundra and Fiona had come to join. Even they couldn't deny the blissful, almost childlike calm that overcame them when they heard this lullaby.

_The stars are all my friends  
till the night time ends  
so I know I'm not alone  
when I'm here on my own_

_Isn't that a wonder?_  
_When you're alone_  
_you're not alone_  
_not really alone._

At last, the mini fox had surrendered to the power of her drowsiness and had gone to sleep. Leo moved first, sliding his hand from her small grip and pulled up the covers with Shiho. Saundra peeked in to gander at the oddity of parents kissing her little sister on the head and turning out the lamp but leave on the plug in night light in the shape of a blue star. As they exited, Shiho cast a glance in the gecko's direction and gave her an unreadable look and Saundra felt a shock of guilt. Looking at Raph, he gave her eyes that said _I told you so._

Saundra didn't get the chance to talk to Shiho, she and Leo had disappeared into their bedroom and went straight to bed. The reptile woman sat with her legs bent at the knees and her back to the wall, staring at the brown spots on her legs like they'd become intensely interesting. Both Mikey and Donnie yawned with smiles on their faces and they, too, went to bed early. It was like Shiho's voice took away everything bad about the day and just left them with good thoughts and dreams to be had. She was left to question if she was wrong about Shiho the entire time when Raph eased down beside her and bumped her in the arm with his elbow.

"Why the long face, Babe?" He said. Saundra shrugged and leaned over until her cheek pressed into his shoulder. Through her nostrils she exhaled heavily, like she had a weight lifted from her chest and she was taking her first full breath.

"Just starting to get it, that's all. You'll help me, right? Conquer whatever monster I have inside me to be civil with her?" Raph stared ahead and laughed shortly with a nod in his head. Yellow eyes found her honey-brown with a tilt of her chin with the guide of his fingers. The corners of her snout formed into a smile at the gesture.

"You know me, always willin' to lend a helpin' hand. C'mere," He said in a low, gruff whisper. Saundra giggled and yanked him down by the back of his neck to give him a big, wet kiss with a muffled yell coming from him. She'd been dying to catch him by surprise.

* * *

Saundra had plucked herself from the crushing yet warm embrace of Raphael's arms and crawled out of bed. She hadn't slept much the night before; her mind was too loud with her thoughts of Shiho and making amends. Her pride was telling her to stay the course and keep on butting heads with her sister. But her gut and heart was screaming at her to just swallow that enormous pride and accept the change. She went back and forth with herself all night long until she just couldn't take it anymore. That, and Raphael's monstrous snoring couldn't let even the people in New Jersey get any sleep.

So, out of bed she went and downstairs into the kitchen she stumbled while glancing at the glowing green clock on the oven. 7:48. Jesus. That was like…the middle of the night for a lazy reptile like Saundra. Reaching into the fridge and stealing one of Mikey's soda's Saundra sauntered off to the couch and found Shiho there already but with Michelangelo asleep with his head in her lap. The elder sister was leaning her cheek into her fist with her elbow resting on the arm rest, her other hand busy caressing Mikey's neck. She was watching some early morning cartoons that had been left on when the television was turned off last night.

"S'matter with him?" The violet eyed sister glanced up from her trance on the television screen to her cross-legged sibling in the recliner. Pointing down at Mikey, she shrugged. Her petting fingers scratching affectionately at his skin.

"He ate too much last night and threw up. He came and got me and said he wasn't feeling well. We do this at least once a week," As if on cue, the sickly turtle in her lap groaned and clutched at the hand she had on his neck. The gecko chuckled lightly and cracked open her soda can and took a drink.

"Poor kid. He gonna be okay?"

"Eventually. He sleeps on my lap for about two hours, throws up again, and then feels better. It's a routine. What are you doing up?" Shiho's soft palm grazed over the ninja's eyes and against his temples, she'd taken his mask off before he'd laid down. She never understood why he didn't just suck it up and go back to bed instead of getting her up every week. But, he was family and he stuck his neck out for her in the past, it was the least she could do.

"Couldn't sleep. Lot on my mind," She brought the can back to her lips and took a long drink. Shiho felt a shift in Michelangelo and reached for the bucket she always kept handy. But it was a little further than usual.

"Shit, he's getting sick. Hand me that bucket, hurry! Get up, Mike," She hissed and Saundra fumbled around for the handle before tossing it across the ottoman.

"Ah thanks. Woah, Mikey. Easy…" She said as he sat up and hurled away into the deep bucket, much to Saundra's disgust. She couldn't fathom how her sister was able to sit there and rub the back of his neck while he blew pizza chunks. "Easy, Babe..."

The sound alone was making Saundra queasy, she guessed it came from living in a house full of brothers with lousy diets and then picking up the slack in raising Aanika that made her sister solid as stone. Shiho really was a Jane of All Trades when it came to their family. If it were Saundra, she would have just let him sit in the bathroom by himself and not bother getting out of bed.

"Dude…that's the last time I mix pizza…ugh…with spicy beef jerky and jalapeno nachos…" Mikey let out a painful burp after wiping his mouth with the wash rag Shiho had given him. She cleansed his face of the sweat he'd worked up with her personal handkerchief.

"That's what you said last month, Sweetheart. Nice try. Come on, let's go wash up and go back to bed," Shiho said, kissing the top of her brother's head. He smiled weakly and stood with her help, bucket in hand. They started towards the bathroom holding hands when Saundra quickly stood.

"Shiho wait!" The fox paused.

"What?"

"I wanna talk to you…really quick," Saundra said, shying her gaze away from her leader. Shiho rubbed Mikey on the arm and nodded her head for him to go on without her, that she'd be right there. As he walked away miserably, Shiho kept her eye on him until he made it to the bathroom before muting the television and sitting back down, Saundra settled beside her.

"Okay, gotta make it quick. He'll forget to dump the bucket in the toilet if I don't remind him." Saundra grimaced.

"Ew…uhm…I was kinda talking to Raph and he sort of told me what I needed to hear as opposed to what I wanted to hear," She started, making Shiho raise her brow in confusion. It was too early for riddles. "That I'm being a big thorn in your side when all you're trying to do is protect me."

"Well, he's not wrong. You are a huge pain in the ass," Shiho said shortly.

"Well damn, don't worry about hurting my feelings or anything."

"Is there a point to this, Sandy? Mikey sort of needs me," Shiho started to get back up when Saundra held her down by her thighs. The vixen sighed with a groan and looked back at her sister.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is…I-…I'm…you know…" She stammered and faded out. Shiho snapped her fingers to hurry her along as she heard Mikey fire up another round of stomach ammo.

"No, I don't know. Sandy just come out with it, he's getting sick agai—"

"I'm sorry!" She finally spit it out, her eyes squeezed shut and her hands balled into fists in her lap. Shiho was actually taken aback at her sister's sudden outburst of an apology, her ears dropping beside her head. "I'm sorry I've given you and Leo so much grief since I got here. I just…"

The nervous geck fidgeted in her seat and scooted away from Shiho. The fox smiled with a look of understanding in those bright eyes of hers.

"Saundra I get it. I know how hard it is being told what to do after being sprung from the lab," Shiho said, her hand grasping Saundra's and giving it a soft squeeze. "But, I just want you to be safe. I couldn't stand it if you were taken from me. If any of you were taken."

Saundra's sharp teeth chewed her lip as she dipped her snout and stared at the floor. She felt Shiho's luminescent gaze on her and noticed how surprisingly safe she felt. In their time apart, Shiho had become stronger and wiser and a guardian to her sisters when they returned to her. She felt stupid for not standing under that umbrella that Shiho provided. Standing with your pride while being drenched in the rain didn't make you look stronger or smarter, you just got soaked and wound up by yourself.

"It's just I get so mad when all of my ideas get shot down. But Raph…he made me understand earlier that my ideas might not be so safe after all."

"He would know. He is the hothead after all. He got his brothers into a lot of trouble in the past with his hastiness, he knows a thing or two about jumping the gun," Shiho said with a giggle that shook her shoulders. Saundra had to laugh, Raph was always flexing his muscles for her and telling her glory days stories but always left out the ones where he'd stupidly run in with his eyes closed and temper flaring.

"Anyway…I'm sorry. You know how hard it is for me to admit when I'm wrong, so…I'm sure you know how agonizing this is," she said with a crinkle in her snout.

"Shihooo…" Mikey called from the bathroom pathetically. Shiho smiled with a roll of her eyes. She really felt like she and the gecko had made some progress as sisters and teammates. There was a lot that needed to be said, but they did so by connecting glowing gazes.

"You don't need to be sorry, Saundra. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a very sick turtle to take care of," Shiho kissed her sister on the snout and squeezed her hands again before making a motion to go tend to Michelangelo who groaned loudly from the bathroom upstairs. "Coming, Mikey, coming."

Saundra sat and did her best to take in what just happened. It was fast and without many words exchanged between them. But, that was Shiho. She understood without much needing to be said once it was out in the open. Saundra could feel that gripping, hot sensation around her heart ease away the more and more she went with the flow of the family. Now, she just had to deal with her guilt while keeping Marcus somewhere in her mind so she'd be ready to take whatever he had to throw at her and beat it into the ground.

Upstairs, she could hear her sister talking to Mikey and soothing the sickness out of him. Laughing, she shook her head and downed the rest of her soda.

"Fatass turtle…"

* * *

**A/N: Why yes! That was "When You're Alone" By John Williams from the film 'Hook'. I don't know about you, but it does have quite the soothing and peave bringing effect I was looking for. Hehehe. SO! We're settling the flames between the two hybrid sisters at last! And Mikey, dealing with the pains of having a shitty diet :) Hahaha, read and review please!**


	22. Hot Jealousy

**A/N: Gosh, I got SO distracted this last weekend. The Kentucky Derby was this Saturday and I was just consumed with studying up on my horses. And! I won! But, I didn't put any money down, dammit! D: But anyway! I love the reviews and the feedback, Duckies! I'm glad you are all enjoying this story, I'm having a blast. Read and Review please!  
**

**************NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

_Saundra sat and did her best to take in what just happened. It was fast and without many words exchanged between them. But, that was Shiho. She understood without much needing to be said once it was out in the open. Saundra could feel that gripping, hot sensation around her heart ease away the more and more she went with the flow of the family. Now, she just had to deal with her guilt while keeping Marcus somewhere in her mind so she'd be ready to take whatever he had to throw at her and beat it into the ground. _

_Upstairs, she could hear her sister talking to Mikey and soothing the sickness out of him. Laughing, she shook her head and downed the rest of her soda._

"_Fatass turtle…"_

* * *

To say that the relationship between the gecko and fox was beginning to blossom into something beautiful for sisters would have been…dead wrong. They were still the irritated, fighting sisters they'd always been but the only difference now was there was no trace of hostility in the air and especially no jealousy radiating from Saundra the way it had been before. It made Leo proud to see his girl swallow whatever bad energy that they shared and moved on without a grudge. Now, all he had to deal with was Shiho's brooding issue with Karai.

Leo had always imagined Shiho was mildly possessive but never to the extent in which she displayed. Just the mention of the female ninja's name made the vixen's lip curl up in a snarl. He had to admit, it was scary but undeniably sexy. Donnie had ventured that it was her fox nature that made her so aggressive about Leonardo because she didn't act like any human woman in her jealousy. The glint in her eyes alone when the subject of Karai was brought up was enough to make any of them want to crawl into their shells and hide. Leo couldn't blame her; he was essentially the same and would cut anyone down without a second thought for putting their hands on his girl.

The turtles and sisters, minus Aanika who stayed with her JiiJii Splinter, were on their nightly patrol of the bustling city. The sun had long disappeared under the skyline and the freaks had come out to play to make trouble among the city folk. Master Splinter had made it clear years ago to his boys to become the guardians of New York City while remaining in shadow, to protect its people under the veil and that is exactly what they did. Now, with extra help when situations when get more hairy than the four boys alone could handle.

Tonight's fixings had been two attempted robberies, a few purse snatchers, and they were lucky enough to break up a gang rape. Shiho always took personal pleasure in watching her amazing mate deal the hand (or foot) of justice to the scum of New York. Preying on the weak like snacks. It made the kiss she gave him on the rooftop that the group had come to rest on heavy and full of sweet adoration. They received a combination of fake gagging noises from Raphael and Saundra, a groan of disdain from Donnie and Fiona, and a full blown wolf whistle from Michelangelo.

"Hehe, your brothers are so mature, Babe," Shiho said with a smirk, her hands resting on the top plates of his scarred plastron while gazing up at him with his favorite glowing stare. He chuckled and tightened his arms around her.

"I could say the same about your sisters. C'mere, gimme another."

"Ah jeez would you two just get a roof? Christ, we're supposed to be saving people not sucking face and playing Tonsil Hockey," Raph snorted, earning him a punch in the arm from his own girl. "Ow!"

"Oh Raphie, just because we're professional Tonsil Hockey players and you're an amateur doesn't mean you have to be jealous," Shiho said. Collectively, the brothers and hybrids all cackled; Leo included.

"Oh yeah?! C'mere, Fuzzball, I'll gonna yank those ears right outta your head!"

"Ohhh you're gonna have to catch me first, Shell For Brains," Shiho giggled as the red-clad ninja dove for her with his hands outstretched. She merely took a side-stepped and instead he collided with Leonardo and toppled over a few times. Leo groaned and glared at his brother.

"Get off me, Raph! You're so heavy!" Leo grunted and shoved Raphael with both hands in the plastron onto the rooftop with a thud. The sisters gathered together to giggle at the turtles. Donnie sighed with a dreamy smile on his face as he leaned on his bo, staring at his lovely Fiona.

Mikey smiled and pointed at the genius. "Heyy, look at Goo-Goo Eyes over here."

Donnie responded by twirling his bo staff in his hands and knocking his little brothers legs out from underneath him. Mikey flipped over backwards and landed flat on his plastron with a yelp. It only made the sisters grip their sides and laugh harder.

"I'm okay…cheap blow, Donnie!"

"Haha, come on guys, we better get back. I'm sure Splinter is wondering where we are, it's getting late," Leo said. Always the voice of reason, Shiho thought. Approaching her turtle mate she pulled him up to his feet with her hand out to him. "Hello, Beautiful." He said as he stood, towering above her.

It was funny how the turtles sprouted once they turned seventeen. They always seemed stuck at just over five feet tall but now they stood a full head above where they once were. Leo was the tallest, hovering above his short vixen at a nice 6'2". The others followed just an each below each other. The tallest sister was Saundra, standing on three clawed toes on each foot. Her gecko-like anatomy gave her an advantage in high and agility compared to her foxy sisters.

"Hello, Handsome. Now, about that last kiss."

"I'd be happy to supply it to you for a price," Shiho flatted her ears out in suspicion, her brow rising in an arch above her violet eye.

"Name it…" Leo smirked and leaned down to whisper in her ear. The turtles and hybrids all leaned in to catch a snippet but backed away the instant Leo smacked his hand into her ass and gave it a squeeze. It was more of a warning for them to stay away, than anything, but that didn't make the feel any less nice. As he whispered, violet eyes widened and a silly grin coiled at her lips. "Tonight?"

That smirk didn't move from his lips as he gave her velvet ear a tug between his teeth. "Yeah. Tonight."

"Deal," Shiho muttered. The ninja chuckled teasingly and leaned down to give her a deep, slow kiss. Her arms came up and around his neck as she pressed against his plastron and granted entrance to his tapping tongue. Leo gave the best damn kisses; heavy and languid in their nature while being filled with every ounce of love and lust he possessed.

"Ohh, someone is going to get nasty," Saundra chortled. The pair slowly broke apart, her tail swaying from side to side in her contentment.

Shiho's reverie was short lived when she heard the soft thump of another set of feet on the rooftop and she was instantly on the defense. Whipping around, the fox knew instantly who it was and she didn't like it. Leo stood stunned behind her as she got low her knees and clenched her teeth with a growl. She was downright terrifying and the look alone on her face parted her sisters and the turtles out of her range to the side, their visitor scoffing as she stepped forward.

"Always a pleasure to see you, Shiho."

"What do you want, Karai?" Shiho snarled. Lo had to forcibly pick her up and move her out of his way so he could talk with the female ninja. His mate was rigid in her muscles and frame, her envious behavior never failed to surprise him. He gave her a warning glare

"Stop it. I'm sorry, Karai. Do you have any news?" The level headed leader grabbed his girl's hand and tugged her to stand behind him so she wouldn't be tempted. Karai smirked and chuckled which only egged the vixen's temper on. "Would you quit it?"

"Yes, Leonardo. Troubling news, in fact. It seems that your _pet…"_ Karai paused and looked Shiho directly in the eyes. Raphael and Donatello launched themselves on top of Shiho and held her down as she made a run at Karai. Raph picked her up to her feet and crushed her in his arms against his plastron, trying to calm her down by talking in her ear. They'd all learned that whispering directly into her ears was always the trick to dousing the fire in her blood.

Leo shot Karai a glare, he couldn't count how many times he'd seen Karai since she showed up again and had to tell her to refrain from calling Shiho something so demeaning.

"When this is over…I am tearing her to fucking pieces…" Shiho growled. Raph chuckled and kissed her head. Saundra found herself deviously amused at her sister's slipping temper, how ironic it was that Raphael was the one to calm her down.

"I'd love to see you try, Fuzzball. I got dibs first."

Leo sighed and dragged his hand down his face. "As you were saying, Karai?"

* * *

"God dammit!" Shiho screamed, her fist colliding with the unfortunate side of a dumpster. The others climbed into the manhole and went down the ladder and left the fox to seethe and assault whatever inanimate object was unlucky enough to be in her sights. Leo signaled for his brothers and the hybrids to go on ahead and that he'd take care of Shiho. The news that Karai had delivered was nothing less than mortifying in its nature and it sent her reeling into the red. "Micah he's…he's…!"

"Shiho, that's enough! You're going to draw attention," Leo at first barked at her but finished with a calm tone. Shiho responded by dragging her nails down the brick wall of one of the buildings in the alley. The sharp extensions created deep rivets in the stone with an ear splitting scratch. Leo's eyes crossed and his teeth clenched together in response. When Shiho angrily kicked over a trash can and slid down the wall to sit on her bottom did he kneel between her legs and cup her face between his hands.

"What are we going to do, Leo? Micah has The Madness! I just…I can't…" Shiho was spiraling downward into a full blown panic attack before his eyes and he was powerless to stop it. But that didn't stop him from trying.

Sitting on his knees, the ninja worked the distressed and shaken up fox into his arms where she proceeded to ramble and grow closer to hyperventilating. The fear of Micah coming after with renewed strength with the aide of The Madness was crippling to a fault. She trembled with wide-eyed ranting.

"I can't beat him. I can't win. Not against The Madness. He's coming for me, Leo. He's gonna take me and Marcus is going to finish me. What…what if he comes after you? Oh God, Leo what if—"

"Would you _shut up?_" He hissed, constricting her against his plastron and tucking her head under his chin where he went through the motions of petting her ears and hair. He inwardly cursed as it started to rain, at least the sounds would drown out Shiho's sounds. He'd seen fear inflicted upon her but never quite to this degree.

"Shiho, _no one_ is taking you away from me. Do you understand?" Shiho said nothing, which agitated him to no possible end. With a growl, he gripped her by the hair and yanked her back until she was looking at him. He was possibly the only being on the planet who could pull her hair and live to talk about it, she was the type of person who needed the necessary roughness to bring her back down to Earth. "I said do you understand me?"

"Leo…Leo he's coming…"

"Damn it, Shiho. Listen to me, I will protect you. You are not being taken from me again. Now stop acting like a fucking maniac and get your ass down that ladder. We're going home to prepare," Leo hated talking to her like that. But there were times when she was so far gone it was all that was left to rope her back in. The pinpoint pupils in her eyes dilated back to normal as the muscles in her face relaxed. Finally.

"It's pouring and we're getting soaked. I said move." Shiho finally noticed the downpour, the sting of the rain on her cheeks brought her out of whatever maniacal tip she was taking. "There you are…"

"Leo I'm sorry—"

"I know. Shut up and move. I'm freezing, Babe."

Once down the ladder after closing the lid, Leo pushed his fingers back through Shiho's drenched tresses and touched his forehead against hers tenderly. Shiho was, without a doubt, embarrassed. Her emotions weren't as controlled as her sisters, a weakness she buried in the darkest part of her mind. She even ignored the sewer water she was standing in and tucked her nose into her favorite spot under Leo's jaw and sighed.

"It's alright. We're going to handle this and find him before he comes. Shiho. Baby look at me," Lifting her chin to look into that luminescent stare, Leo kissed her gently and carefully. "You will be okay. Trust me."

Glossy lips trembled and glowing, glittering eyes fluttered shut as she exhaled a shaky breath. Leo knew she was terrified; dealing with The Madness inside herself was painful enough. But battling it in someone else was horrifying. Seeing that look of utter fear on his beloved mate's face was enough to make him want to put both of his katanas through each of Marcus' eye sockets. Her shaking alone infuriated him.

"You promise?" She said, slowly opening those glowing orbs. Leo chewed his cheek and swallowed thickly. He was afraid to promise. What if he didn't keep it?

"Yeah. Shiho…" Her gaze had fallen to the side as her brows knit together with hot tears welling into those gorgeous eyes. She was ripping him apart on the inside. "Baby, come on. Stop crying, please. Look at me. I love you."

Being weak wasn't Shiho, but she did occasionally have her fall-outs. But luckily, Leo was there for her to fall into. Without the ninja, she didn't have a leg to stand on.

"I love you, too. Don't…don't tell the guys," She mumbled as he wiped her cheeks free of those tears with his thumbs.

Leo chuckled. "I won't. Kiss me. Please, I can't take the look you're giving me."

"Kay.." She smiled sheepishly and laced her hands behind his neck to kiss him. Leo's kisses medicated all the wounds and washed over her like a wave of comfort. He knew she needed it, he could tell by the whimpers she was making as he flicked her sweet tongue with his. His hands caressed her back through her shirt and ventured down to lift her by the tops of her thighs, her legs coming around him.

"Better?" He whispered against her lips. Her dark lips pressed against the ridge of his beak and he smiled.

"Yeah…Let's go home, Donnie's screaming at me in my earpiece because Aanika hid his wrenches and screwdrivers."

"She learned that from Mikey…" He said with a groan. "Come on, Princess. Home."

* * *

"Gimme back my wrench, you little monster!" Donnie cried, the genius had resorted to chasing the 5 year old around the lair as she held on of his tools in her little fist. And she was outrunning him. Aanika squealed and giggled as she ran into Michelangelo's lap who was preoccupied with a video game, he didn't even notice her curled up in the bends of his Indian crossed legs. But he sure was surprised when Donatello launched at him from the side and knocked him and the little fox over.

"Dude! MY HIGH SCORE!" Mikey wailed as his controller flew out of his hands and the racer on the screen crashed and ended his game. Victoriously, Aanika squeezed out from under her uncles.

"I win, Donnie!" The purple masked turtle grumbled as he untangled himself from his brother who instantly fell to his knees in front of the television screen. With his arms held up in the air as if calling to a deity, he bellowed.

"NOOOOO!"

"Oh shut-up, Knucklehead. You can start over. Donnie, the hell was that all about?" Raph said, Saundra lounged across the couch with her head in his lap.

"Little beast over here hid all my tools and she has the last one. Your mother is _so_ going to hear about this."

"Hear about what?" The sudden piping of the airy, feminine voice made all the turtles jump. The mini fox dropped the wrench on Donatello's head and ran full speed towards her parents.

"OW!"

"C'mere, Pumpkin," Shiho cooed and Aanika took a flying leap into her open arms. Shiho caught her and spun her around, wailing on the side of her head with kisses. "Ohhh were you a good girl?"

"Yes!"

"Yeah, so good…" Donnie mumbled as he rose to his feet with the last of his tools in his hand, rubbing his head with the other. Fiona giggled from her spot in the recliner under the lamp, a chemistry book in her lap.

"Oh Don, she's only 5, lighten up, Booger."

"Booger?!" Said the other turtles and hybrids in unison before the simultaneously burst into a fit of laughter.

"I can't win. Shiho, how is the earpiece working?" Tossing her child into Leo's waiting arms, the vixen giggled.

"Fine, why?"

"THEN ANSWER IT NEXT TIME!" He screeched. His outburst surprised his entire family into stunned silence. Shiho exchanged glances with Fiona for a second as he stalked away into his lab and slammed the door shut.

"Woah, dudes. Time for the Don man to switch to decaf."

"Shut-up, Mikey," everyone chanted.

"Leo, can you go over a plan with the guys? Karai said Marcus is in the Arizona desert somewhere. We need to get things together before they come to us. I'm gonna go see what's eatin' Donnie," Shiho said. Leo nodded, his mini fox wriggling to be let down.

Shiho went after Donnie in a slight run and knocked softly on his door. He let her know it was okay to come in with an uncharacteristic grunt. Slowly and cautiously, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her so she wouldn't be bother. Donnie was at his desk with all of his monitors turned off and his head leaning back against the headrest of his chair. She'd never seen him this stressed.

"Donnie what's wrong? You never yell like that…" The brainy turtle dragged his palm down his face before massaging his temple with a drawn out sigh. "Donnie?"

"Just stressed."

"I can see that," She said, pulling up the rolling stool and sitting beside him. There was more than just stressed grinding the gears in his head, the tension in his muscles made that clear. "Donnie, what's going on?"

He turned in his chair and faced her. "I'm scared. Now that we know what we're up against, I don't want Fiona taken from me."

"Oh Donnie…" Donatello was now understanding the turmoil that Leo was facing, what he went through when Shiho was kidnapped. That nagging, crippling fear of his mate being taken from his protective grasp had Donnie so insanely on edge, he snapped. He couldn't imagine a day without the quiet, red head.

"Rest assured, sweetie, I'm not going to let Fiona be taken from you. I know you love her and I know you're worried, but it's gonna be okay." He glanced up from the gaze he'd had on the glinting shard around her neck. He wondered if he should do something similar.

"How do you know?"

"For one, Marcus' has his focus set on me. I'm the one who's given him the most trouble. And two, Fiona is a fighter. I've seen what she can do and how she handles herself. My baby sister has the same fire in her that I see in you." Shiho reached forward and gasped both of his large hands with hers and grazed his knuckles with her thumbs. "She loves you, Donnie. And if she's anything like me, she won't let herself be stolen away from you. Believe it or not, Fiona has a feisty side to her."

Donnie chuckled softly and kissed the tops of Shiho's hands. "I know. Just, now that Micah has The Madness, who knows what will happen? I just want her safe. She's all I have."

Those bright eyes dimmed and softened in compassion while the sweetest of serene smiles came to the glossy lips. Shiho couldn't put to rest the fluttering happiness in her heart and belly that came to rise, Fiona was well taken care of and Shiho couldn't have asked for a better brother.

"I'm so glad she that she has you, Donnie. You don't know what it means to me as a big sister to see someone care about her as much as you do. When we were kids I always had to stick up for her when Saundra started getting violent. But, now she's safe with you…it's a weight off my shoulders."

There was a cough and a knock at the door, shaking them both out of their conversation to look over their shoulder. It was Fiona with the biggest smile on her pretty lips, clutching her chemistry book to her chest. Shiho caught the change in Donnie's grin as he pat his lap for her to come sit. Eagerly, the shy fox wiggled over and settled against her mate.

"Hey, Nosey Rosy." Shiho mused with a violet eyed wink. Both sisters twitched their tall ears and giggled.

"So, Leo says you're working with double katanas now?" Donnie said, changing the subject before it got out of hand. Shiho exhaled heavily and nodded.

"Yeah. Splinter said it was time for me to choose my weapon and those are the ones I went for. Leo's been teaching me to work with them since before we got together."

"It's easy to say that he's biased about his weapon choice," Fiona said, her fingers curling at the edge of Donnie's plastron. The genius nodded and tucked and arm around her.

"He's always been like that. I venture he finds it sexy when he sees you holding those weapons in particular. Can't lie, gets my blood really pumping when I see Fi, here, practicing with a bo staff."

The girls and Donnie chuckled away while out in the living area Leo was going over strict plans with his brothers. He was going to take as many precautions as he possibly could so his girl was safe, hell so Aanika was safe. He loved his brothers and his new sisters, but if anything were to happen to his mate and kid…Leo didn't want to even think of what he'd do. He knew it would end with Marcus being run through.

* * *

Once again, Shiho was under the weather much like she had been a few days ago. She put up a good fight with Leo to make her stay home while he and the others went out for a nightly patrol. Shiho pouted, ranted, grumbled, and wiggled when he threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes to bring her to the couch. He always enjoyed watching her try to overpower him when they both knew she didn't stand a chance against his strength.

"Would you just lie down? Splinter is staying home and so is Aanika. You aren't exactly by yourself," Leo said as he covered her in her thick, fleece blanket. "You've been blowing chunks since you got up this morning. You're staying home."

"But Leo—"

"No but's! Just do as I say, woman. It's raining and I don't want you to get worse." From his place by the lair's exit, Donnie chuckled.

"Sis, I have the Shell Cell on me, just call if you need us. We'll come straight home. Besides, I need you to stay here because I want to run a blood test on you."

"Donniiiiie. Why?!" She cried as Leo propped her back against a pillow and kissed her head. Aanika crawled onto the couch and snuggled under blanket against Shiho's side. "Pumpkin! Tell Daddy to let Mama out."

Shiho's answer was a smack in the face with Aanika's tail. Leo shook with hysterical contained laughter that pooled tears in the corners of his eyes, Shiho's un-amused expression was almost too much for him to stand. With a loving caress of Shiho's cheek, Leo gave his mini fox a nuzzle of his beak. It never failed to make Shiho's heart soar when Leo interacted with the little one, he really had the reigns on being a father. Watching Splinter all those years paid off in his favor.

"We'll be back later. Call me if you need me. I love you, Shiho."

The vixen grumbled with her arms folded across her bosom. She didn't answer which earned her a growl out of Leo. "I said, I love you."

"I love you too, Leo….buttmunch…"

"Hehe, I'll see you soon. Take care of Mom, Nika. I'll bring you something special if you're good." The idea of getting another present from the surface made his little girl clap her small hands. Leo grabbed her with a playful growl and smothered her face in his kisses until she squealed and giggled.

"Safe, Daddy." Said the little one as Leo joined his brothers and hybrids to leave. He looked back to his little family snuggling on the couch.

"Yeah. Stay safe, sweetie." And away they went into the sewers, leaving them behind. When the door closed, Leo hesitated for a moment before continuing on his way. "Be careful, Babe.."

* * *

**A/N: The conflict. It is coming! Are you guys ready?! Cuz I sure am :) I'm drawing a close on the 2003-2010 TMNT series too...I don't know what I'm going to do with myself once it's over...I'm so pathetic. Hahaha, anyway. Thanks for reading and being patient, Duckies! We're almost done!**


	23. Hear Me Calling

**A/N: Ohmigod! I leave for my trip back home to California in 8 days to have my scoliosis repaired. I'm hauling ass to get this bad boy finished since I won't have access to a working computer. But anyway! We have reached the bottom of our uphill battle, our conflict! It's gonna get hairy! And bloody :3 Thanks Duckies, read and review please!**

**************NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

"_Hehe, I'll see you soon. Take care of Mom, Nika. I'll bring you something special if you're good." The idea of getting another present from the surface made his little girl clap her small hands. Leo grabbed her with a playful growl and smothered her face in his kisses until she squealed and giggled. _

"_Safe, Daddy." Said the little one as Leo joined his brothers and hybrids to leave. He looked back to his little family snuggling on the couch. _

"_Yeah. Stay safe, sweetie." And away they went into the sewers, leaving them behind. When the door closed, Leo hesitated for a moment before continuing on his way. "Be careful, Babe.."_

* * *

The night at home was quiet but eventful as Splinter had rested his daughter's head into his lap, affectionately stroking her hair and ears to bring some comfort in her time of illness. He felt helpless when she would run off into the bathroom and lock the door so Aanika couldn't come in while she was getting sick. Her recent powerful illness troubled him deeply and he often pondered it while in the midst of his daily meditating, trying to understand what could be making the vixen so sick so suddenly. Shiho didn't mind the attention, though. Spending time with Splinter was one of her favorite things to do. His presence was calming and tranquil and he always had many wise things to say. He was the father that she never had, that she was denied growing up. Shiho loved Splinter, and it was easy to say that he loved her dearly in return.

The aged rat coursed over the velvet ears while he and Shiho watched Aanika act out a scene from one of her favorite movies that she was currently watching; Rio. She was dancing and singing lyrics from the party and samba scene, loudly proclaiming that she was Jewel. Shiho and Splinter chuckled as the little one shook her little butt as if she had tail feathers and danced in circles and made a beeline around the ottoman while on screen the two blue parrots were getting ready to kiss before their party was ruined.

"Ah nuts! They stopped the dance Mama!" She cried, looking at Shiho and pointing at the screen. The nauseous vixen giggled.

"Who did, Baby?"

"THE MONKEYS!" Splinter belted out a laugh at his grandchild's panic as she rushed in front of the television and plopped onto her large pillow on her belly. He glanced down when Shiho grimaced with a soft groan.

"How are you feeling, my daughter?"

"Not much better, Pop. I just can't shake this feeling."

The wise, old rat hummed to himself and twitched his whiskers inquisitively. He had a hunch but he was unsure if he should voice his take on the strange illness. She'd gotten sick so suddenly and so violently, he'd never seen anything like it in his sons growing up. But then again, he raised turtles. Not female fox hybrids.

"Thanks for staying with me, Pop. I know you'd rather be meditating in peace instead of watching Rio with me and Shortstack. It means a lot to me that you're here."

Splinter chuckled softly and shortly. "Do not worry, young one. You are family, it is my duty to see that you are feeling like yourself again. Besides, she amuses me with her outbursts and dances."

The fox giggled and nuzzled into his lap. "Thanks. I love ya, Pop."

"And I love you too, daughter. Very much. Hm? What is the matter?" Shiho's ears twitched open as she sat up and glanced at the lair entrance. A confused and suspicious look came across her beautiful face as she stood and uneasily made her way over.

"Mama?"

"Stay with JiiJii. It's a little early for the boys to be home isn't it?" She said and opened the door.

"Hehehe...hello Shiho Baby.."

Shiho let loose a blood-curdling scream and ran. "LEONARDO!"

* * *

The nightly patrol just wasn't the same without Shiho running along the rooftops at Leo's side, he felt unguarded and strange when he looked and she wasn't there. But he had to focus on his objective and keep an eye out on the streets below for any trouble. Behind him, his team could sense his hesitation and they all voiced for a break. Leo wasn't up for arguing and agreed to rest on a rooftop down the street from the new World Trade Center building. It wasn't done yet but it still reached to the heavens with its beauty, Shiho had been adamant about watching its progress for the last two years.

This was Shiho's favorite place to rest when they weren't on hers and Leo's rooftop. When it was closed, the pair would sneak into the 9/11 memorial center to pay their respects and take in the vast and breathtaking beauty of the enormous fountains in the footprints of the Twin Towers. Shiho often said she felt a sense of melancholy and sadness when she was there; for the 2300 some odd people who perished there so many years ago. But she felt comforted that she was at least able to visit and commend the victims for their bravery by touching the hundreds of names that were engraved along the rim of the fountains.

Leo couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he'd been having since he left his mate and child alone with Splinter. Normally, he wouldn't be this paranoid but with her as sick as she's been lately he wasn't sure how well she'd be able to defend herself if something went wrong. Deep in his chest, anxiety boiled hot. His palms prickling with sweat and his throat was tight.

In his head he kept hearing his mate's voice calling to him. But not calling to him just to get his attention no…her voice was screaming. Screaming in agony and fear, causing his heart to thunder painfully under his plastron. He couldn't understand why he was hearing her, why he was hearing so much pain in her voice. He didn't hear Splinter and he didn't hear Aanika. Only Shiho.

'_Leo!...Leo!...Where are you Leonardo!' _In his soul he could feel her delicate hand reaching out to him, grasping and trying to grab him. Like she was being dragged away from him. Even in his mind, he could see her beautiful face, etched with anguish and pain. Why was he seeing her like this? What did it mean?

"Helloooo, Earth to Leo? You there, dude?" Mikey said, waving his hand in front of his stoic brother's face.

"Huh?" Leo blinked.

"Dude! Come back to us, you've been like a thousand miles away all night."

"Yeah, Leo. What's the matter with ya? Ya ain't getting' sick too, are ya?" Raph said. His mate and her sister were leaning their arms on the cement wall of the roof, gazing at the glass tower as the lights of the city danced and reflected off its smooth surface.

"I'm fine. I'm just worried. I've never left her alone before…" His brothers nodded in understanding and each gave him a pat on the shoulder. "I can't get over this weird feeling, like something bad is about to happen."

"Well, ya did hear Karai. Marcus amped up her little boyfriend into some Madness mutant. That and he isn't using the Foot to come after us, he's using Micah. But the Arizona desert? What could that nutbag be doin' all the way out there?"

"I dunno, Raph. But it doesn't settle nicely with me. And don't call him Shiho's boyfriend. You know that ticks me off. She's _my_ girl," Leo snapped, Raph held up his hands in surrender. He was still hearing that anguished scream in his ears as it echoed endlessly, tormenting him.

"She'll be okay, Leo. Splinter is with her, he may be old but the little guy can still hand out a good punch," Donnie said, pulling out his beeping Shell Cell. Leo looked away at his sisters and sighed. Fiona was the first to turn around with her ears erect and a look on her face that he'd never seen before.

"What?" Leo said, approaching her and settling his hands on her shoulders. Now Saundra had the same look. "What is it?"

Fiona whimpered. "Shiho…"

Leo's blood turned to ice and his heart nearly stopped. Donnie hastily tugged on his arm.

"We gotta go. Distress signal coming from Shiho's Shell Cell but I can't hear her. Just a bunch of sounds."

"Let's go!" Leo barked.

Leo didn't waste any time and took off before the others straight towards home. He knew something was up, he shouldn't have left her alone. He should have stayed home. So many things he should have done and he didn't. Leo just prayed that by the time he walked into that lair that Shiho would be asleep on the couch and Aanika would be in Splinter's lap. He prayed with all of his might that his little family would be waiting for him.

But Leo knew better.

* * *

Leonardo sprinted as fast as he possibly could through the sewers that led to the lair. His legs burned and his lungs pricked with needles as he ignored his personal pain and kept running, still hearing the deafening sounds of Shiho's screams in his head. He didn't know what he was going to find when he finally reached the lair, but he could tell that something was definitely out of place and that Shiho was in danger. His brothers and sisters kept up with him as best as they could but when your mate is in trouble…when your child is in trouble, you forget about everything around you and gain tunnel vision.

"Leo stop!" Donnie screamed at his brother. Leo screeched to a halt just outside of the lair's entrance. The steel door looked like it had been peeled open by a can opener and then broken off its hinges. The boys readied their weapons and the girls stayed behind their respective mates. Leo nearly collapsed when he approached the door.

From the doorframe to the center of the lair was blood splatter. All around the room was blood splatter and smears, the furniture was turned over and sparks flew out of a few severed wires. On the staircase, Splinter lay crumpled and groaning. Leo dropped his swords and rushed to his father with his family in tow. The old rat's robe was torn by what looked to be claws, missing fur where someone had taken swipes at him.

"Master Splinter! What happened?!" Leo cried with his father in his arms. Putting a paw to his sore snout and gently giving it a rub, Splinter's eyes met his sons and daughters.

"He has come, my sons and daughters. The one you call Micah. He has Shiho and Aanika. She fought to defend us, but was overpowered…" Leo swallowed hard as Donnie took over to tend to Splinter's injures. Leo stood and looked around the room where on the floor was an enormous puddle of smeared blood, hand prints and swipes rubbing the substance all over. Like someone had been struggling and pawing at the ground to get away. The red substance bubbled and was eating through the floor which told Leo exactly who it belonged to; Shiho.

Her bloody, smeared handprints on the floors, walls, and some of the furniture tormented his mind as he fell to his knees beside the largest blood stain. What had Shiho gone through in his absence? His brothers and sisters looked up from Splinter to see Leo reaching forward into the acidic pool, not caring that it scalded his fingers. He grabbed something and held it in his hand, the pain from the acidic blood burning his hand was real enough. But the pain of breaking his promise to Shiho was agonizing. He'd lost her again and he promised her he wouldn't…

In Leo's hand was the glinting shard of his katana that he'd given her back in the beginning. She'd lost it in her battle. Grasping the shard that Shiho had kept so treasured in his palm, Leo let his arms drop and his head fall back as he belted out a violent, deplorable, and agonizing scream. Collectively, the family fell into sorrowful silence, Splinter feeling his son's pain. The sound echoed throughout the entire lair, ringing in everyone's ears, telling them just how much pain he was in.

Leo slammed his left fist into the floor. "Aanika!" And he slammed the other with a grunt. "Shiho…"

Once again, Leo felt defeated. Now he understood what it was that he was seeing and hearing. Shiho had found the connection of their minds and souls and was crying out to him, Leo had never been so angry with himself as he began to sob. Out of the brothers, Raphael was the one to jump up and bring Leo into his arms. No one had ever seen the leader cry with such an intensity, such anguish. It physically hurt them all to see him the way he was.

"Damn it! Damn it! I shouldn't have left her!" He wailed, his arms grapsing Raphael tightly around the neck as they both went to their knees. "Shiho, oh God..my Shiho!"

Raphael put a comforting hand on the back of his brother's neck. "Easy, bro. I got ya…" Leo's fists pressed against Raph's plastron and tightened as his shoulders shook and his cries caused his voice to roughen and go hoarse. His normally beautiful, golden amber eyes were red rimmed and pouring over the brim, his mask soaking around the rims.

On the stairs, the sisters clutched each other tightly and leaned foreheads together as they quietly wept together. Despite the awful fights and feuds that went on between Shiho and Saundra, they were still sisters and the only family each other had outside of the brothers. Saundra had never experienced such a lonely, defeated feeling before. Her anger and her pain all mixed into one furious ball and it was all directed at Micah and Marcus. Raph was right that night when he'd been talking to Shiho, that if anything were to happen to her that Saundra would fall to pieces. And she was.

Splinter struggled to stand and reached out to his weeping son and offered his arms as a place of comfort and safety. Leo, like a child, crumpled against the only father he ever knew and buried his face into the master's warm fur. Backing up until he was sitting on the stairs, Splinter held his anguished son in silence. There was nothing more painful for a parent to witness than their children suffering in pain and being helpless to put out the fire. Leo's world was crumbling around him. Shiho could have been dead, the blood all over the lair was daunting.

_Please be okay...please be alive. Please...Please! I need you, Shiho. I need you. Don't leave me.._ Leo called inside his head in the hopes that Shiho could hear him where she was.

"That's it." Raph said at last after Leo's body wracking sobs calmed. The family looked to Raphael for guidance in their leader's weakened state. "We're gettin' in that chopper and we're goin' to Arizona to get our sister and our niece. And when we get there, we gonna show that Marcus and Micah what it really means to mess with the Hamato's."

Raphael smacked his fist into his palm with a growl. No one took his family and got away with it. No one hurt Leo to the very core and lived to tell the tale. No. Raphael was done with this song and dance and he was putting an end to it now. Leo looked up to his brother from his father's tear stained robe and fur with a pleading look on his face.

"Don't worry, Leo. We're gonna go save your woman, but you're comin' with us."

"But-"

"That's your girl he's got! And your baby girl. You gonna just stand there and let him have them?" Leo opened his mouth and closed it. He shook his head, he'd die if anything happened to his girls. "Now let's get movin' so we can kick some evil scientist ass."

Splinter grumbled at his son's choice of language but all in all agreed. His injuries were mere scratches to the blows that Shiho took for him while defending him from a maddened Micah. Donnie used his bo to pull himself up and stand beside Raphael, Michelangelo was next. The three brothers looked at the two trembling hybrids on the stairs with beckoning expressions. Saundra placed her hand on Fiona's cheek and Fiona did the same as they took a moment to gather themselves.

Saundra stood. "We're in. Leo, come on, let's go get your girl and kid."

"But we don't know where to start…How are we even going to find her, we can't scour the entire state of Arizona."

Donnie chuckled. "I thought about that when she was taken the first time, Leo. I expanded the tracking perimeter on Shiho's chip in her leg. We could track her all the way to Japan now if we wanted to."

Looking to his sensei for answers, the rat nodded with a smile on his aged muzzle. Leo nodded firmly and wiped his face with the back of his wrist.

"I guess Bishop came in handy after all didn't he?" His brothers chuckled and nodded. Leo stood and swallowed his fears. "Alright, let's get planning. Donnie. I want to see the surveillance video of the lair when it was breeched to see what we're up against. Raphael,"

The red masked brother stood tall at the mention of his name, his leader was back. That alone made him smile. "Yeah?"

"You and Mikey get the supplies we need and load them into the chopper. The girls will help you," The brothers and hybrids nodded and took off upstairs to start their duties. "And Master?"

"Yes, my son?"

"I need you to stay with April and Casey. In case anyone comes back looking for us. You'll be safe there." The old rat tapped his cane and nodded his head. He was in no shape to fly off to save the fox and child, he was too old and too injured for those things. Those days were over for Splinter.

"Excellent plan. Leonardo?" Leo froze as he was about to follow Donnie into his lab, giving his father his full attention.

"Do not lose hope, my son. If you stay strong and true to yourself, and trust in your brothers and sisters, all will fall into place and your beloved and child will be safely returned."

"Yes, Father." Leo leaned down and wrapped his arms around Splinter. "Thank you…"

* * *

Shiho awoke to a blinding headache, blinking her sore eyes in the bright, unforgiving light that was pointed at her. She hurt all over, even her tail ached which she never knew was possible. Her cheek burned with a deep scratch, someone had taken a sucker swipe at her face. Shiho ventured she had cracked her ribs again, the throbbing ache in her sides told her so. Bruises decorated her arms, she just looked like hell.

The fox couldn't remember much, but snippets here and there of Micah storming the door with what had to be twenty or thirty ninjas behind him. Ninjas…Karai! She remembered seeing Karai. But…she'd been giving them information from the beginning about Marcus and Micah…

"She lied…that bitch…" Shiho muttered as she tried to move. Her wrists were bound under steel loops, her ankles in the same predicament. She was upright on an experimentation table, she knew this flat, cold surface anywhere. She spent countless days of her life strapped by her wrists, ankles, and her belly to one of these damned tables. Instantly, a sense of dread and panic overcame her. Her heart pounding wildly and out of control under her breastbone.

"Aanika?...Aanika!" She cried. Her calls were answered by a whimper to her left. Shiho's entire soul shattered when her eyes landed on her sweet Aanika back in those chains that had taken her words away from her. Desperately, the child pulled against her shackles and reached out towards Shiho.

"Mama! I'm scared!" Those two words tore Shiho to pieces. It was her job to keep Aanika safe, and now, here she was back in some laboratory with those menacing chains holding her in place. The only door in the blank room opened and in it's frame stood the outlined figure of the man who tormented her for the longest 23 years.

"My, my you've been such a naughty girl, Shiho. Did you really think you could hide from me forever? Playing 'House' with those freaks?" Shiho growled and spat in his direction as he approached her. A syringe held up in his hand as he came closer. The beautiful violet irises shrank to the size of pins in a panic as she did her best to thrash and break free. "Ah-ah! Just going to grab some blood and see just how naughty you have been. Looking a little pudgy, my dear. What have you been up to?"

The cruel smile on Marcus' face mocked Shiho, the jingling of Aanika's chain only angering her that much more. Shiho was helpless and wailed when he stuck her in the protruding vein of her left arm and withdrew a full syringe of the hot, burning blood. Behind him, Magdalena giggled and took the sample from her creator, sticking her tongue out at her host. Shiho glared menacingly at her clone and shrieked when Marcus pulled her shirt up her belly, he hadn't bothered to put her in that awful medical gown.

"What are you doing?! Get your filthy hands off of me!" She writhed as Marcus examined his creation's slightly bloated abdomen. His dark brows twitched in fascination as he snapped his fingers for Maggie to pay attention.

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Make the call down to medical for them to wheel one of the ultrasound monitors up here. I think we have a baker on our hands," Shiho's blood ran cold in her boiling veins. Her tiny irises darting down to her tanned belly where Marcus was pressing with his fingers. He was right, she looked like she'd put some weight on. But…what did he mean?

"Baker? You don't mean…that's not possible…" Shiho's tiny voice was just above a hoarse whisper, her throat sore and parched. She was dying for a glass of water. Magdalena kneeled in front of the smaller fox and flicked her hard between the eyes to make her cry. "Leave her alone, Maggie! Or I swear I'll—"

"Or you'll what? Glare at me? Ooooh I'm so scared. Please, Shiho. You can't protect her anymore than you can protect yourself," Magdalena said, her hands perched on her hips. Suddenly her eyes bugged open and a grin spread across her pink lips. "OH! Did you see Micah?! Amazing isn't he? He's like you, only now he's consumed by The Madness. All the time!"

Shiho's glare turned to Marcus with a snarl. He would not stop touching her and it was making her sick…or maybe she was still feeling sick from earlier. "What was Karai doing with Micah?! She said she turned you down."

"Haha, is that what she said? My goodness, that girl really needs to stop lying. Now, stop moving. I have to look at what abomination is growing inside you." Marcus said as the door was opened and a machine with a small screen on top was wheeled inside. He lifted her cotton shirt back up and squeezed cold gel onto her pelvis making her flinch. Shiho tried to wiggle as he pressed a wand to her belly after flipping on the machine and screen. She couldn't stand how calm and collected this man acted around her.

That wand pressed heavily into her lower tummy, making the nausea consume her and her head swim. But Marcus didn't even look at her, his gaze was glued to that screen as grey moving images flashed across it.

"Just as I thought. You've been such a bad girl, Shiho. Now look what you've done, you went and got pregnant."

Both hybrids were silent, host and clone. Shiho stared in disbelief at the ulstrasound image. It wasn't big or very far along, but there was a fetus on that screen. Despite the situation she was in, Shiho felt tears coming to pool at the bottom of her eyes and spilling over her cheeks. All this time, she had sworn it wasn't even possible to conceive. But it looked like nature had other plans.

Marcus sighed. "Oh now this is just ridiculous. There are two of them in there," Shiho gasped and bit her lip to contain her sob. She wished Leo was here, no…she wished she was home with her mate and family for something like this. They weren't even trying to get pregnant. Time slowed down and Shiho missed Leo so much she couldn't breathe. "I might be able to use this to my advantage. Maggie, what's the status on the turtles?"

"Oh! Radar has them approaching. Should be here within the next hour, Daddy. So like…she's going to have mutant babies?" Shiho didn't hear either of them talking, she was focused instead on the image on the screen and trying to sense the two little lives inside of her. Leo was going to flip. Her sisters, too. Now that they knew it was possible, who was to stop her or the others from having more?

Oh. Marcus.

"We'll cut 'em out of her when he gets here if he doesn't cooperate." Shiho came in at the last part of their conversation and panic seeped right back into her heart.

"What?! No, Marcus! You've taken enough from me, you are _not_ taking my babies!" Shiho fussed and pulled as hard as she could against the steel rungs but was getting nowhere but exhausted. She had to fight. For Aanika who was cowering in the corner. For her unborn children. For herself. For Leo.

"Oh please, Shiho. Who's to say you'll even make it full term. Now, Maggie, out. We have guests to greet," Marcus smiled in that way that made the vixen's skin crawl and coil into goose bumps, his cold blue eyes boring into her very soul. It looked like he was looking through her skin into her occupied womb, staring in disgust at her beatiful babies inside her. He sent her over the edge when he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Get away from me!" She screamed and snapped at him. Marcus chuckled and made a silent exit, shutting and locking the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, the rungs on the table and the shackles around Aanika opened. Shiho crumpled to the floor in her weakened state as Aanika ran to her.

"Oh my baby. Are you hurt?" Shiho examined her little fox's arms and legs, checking her head and everywhere else for injuries. She found none, thankfully and crushed her against her bosom in a tight embrace. Moving into the corner, Shiho held her little fox and buried her face in her hair.

"I'm scared Mama. Want Daddy."

"I know, Baby. He's coming for us. Okay?" Shiho looked at her child in the face and fought to stay composed. Aanika's bright blue eyes were dimmed and red from tears. Her sweet face tear streaked and terrified. Shiho calmed her quivering lip by smoothing her hair and kissing her forehead tenderly. "Daddy's coming."

Right she was. Leo and his brothers and sisters were screaming through the air as fast as the helicopter would go straight for the signal that Donnie was receiving on his tracking device. Leo's ambition held him together for his strength and bravery was close to gone, he was terrified that he wasn't going to get there in time. Shiho called out for him with her soul, crying and reaching out in desperation. Marcus had gone much too far this time, Karai was now on his hit list, too. After watching the security footage from the lair, Leo discovered they'd all been betrayed.

Now, his mate and his child were in danger because he'd been too trusting. He was always trying to see the glimmer of light inside Karai's soul that no one else could, now he was understanding why. Because there was no good in her anymore. All that resided inside Karai was vengeance. She was willing to go to whatever lengths to destroy Leonardo and his brothers for what they did to her father. But she'd crossed the line involving his daughter, now Leo was out for blood. He wasn't going to stop until that bitch was run through to the hilt of his katanas.

"Hurry Leo…" Shiho whispered as Aanika curled up against her, trying to become as small as she possibly could. In the safety of her mother's arms, the little fox gave in to her exhaustion and succumbed to sleep. Shiho prayed the nightmares would leave her alone.

Absentmindedly, Shiho slipped her hand underneath Aanika and rubbed her belly. She couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed the little bump, it all made sense now as to why she'd been so ill the last few days. Her body was changing to meet the needs of her little growing embryos. Focusing her energy, she could feel them there; she could feel their presence, their life. Shiho's cheeks were slick with tears. What if she didn't get the chance to hold her little ones? What if Leo never got the chance to know?

"Come to me, Leo. I need you. Aanika needs you…Your babies need you,"

* * *

Leo's eyes snapped open. He'd heard Shiho again, heard her calling out to him with her soul. His hands trembled and his lips quivered. Donnie took notice in the change in Leo and signaled for Raphael to come and help since he was piloting. The red masked ninja moved forward in the cabin and crouched beside his leader. His expression was etched with shock and disbelief but he said nothing.

"Leo? Leo what's the matter?" The sisters and Mikey gathered.

"It's Shiho. I can hear her…she's okay. Aanika is okay."

The family breathed a sigh of relief, all except for Donnie and Raphael.

"It sounds like there's a 'but' in that statement, Leo. What else did you hear?" Donnie said, keeping the steering steady.

"Shiho's pregnant."

* * *

**A/N: WHAT WHAT! That's right, I went there. I have no shame either! :D That's right, I got my fox preggers, don't judge me. Hahaha, I'm still working on how I want my knight in shining armor to storm the castle. Gettin' there though. Hang in there!**


	24. Karai's End

**A/N: Okay so I apologize in advance if this chapter uhhh sucks. Hahaha, it's sooo hard for me to put into words battle and fights scenes that I see in my head. Like, it's super epic up in my mind, but when I try to write it down, my brain just goes "HAHAHAHA! Nope!" It makes me look mediocre on purpose! So...I did my best. Thanks for the reviews! I love them! Keep em coming, Duckies!  
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**************NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

_Leo's eyes snapped open. He'd heard Shiho again, heard her calling out to him with her soul. His hands trembled and his lips quivered. Donnie took notice in the change in Leo and signaled for Raphael to come and help since he was piloting. The red masked ninja moved forward in the cabin and crouched beside his leader. His expression was etched with shock and disbelief but he said nothing._

_"Leo? Leo what's the matter?" The sisters and Mikey gathered._

_"It's Shiho. I can hear her…she's okay. Aanika is okay."_

_The family breathed a sigh of relief, all except for Donnie and Raphael._

_"It sounds like there's a 'but' in that statement, Leo. What else did you hear?" Donnie said, keeping the steering steady._

_"Shiho's pregnant."_

* * *

"Pregnant?!" Chorused the entire family. The helicopter pitched downward when Donnie let go of the controls to gawk at Leo and sent them all off their balance with a collective yell. The genius hurriedly regained control of the chopper with a heavy sigh of relief. Leo collapsed into the co-pilot's seat beside his brother with an expression that was unreadable. No one could tell what was going through his mind; hell he didn't even know what to think. Raphael found his balance once again and stood between the two seats, his attention on his leader.

"What do you mean 'pregnant?' How on Earth could she be pregnant?! How do you even know?!" It didn't make sense how he just suddenly knew when they weren't even with Shiho. Raphael could have sworn his brother was insane.

"She just…told me. I heard her say it, heard her in my head…" Leo muttered. He scrambled his mind to try and remember just how it was possible for him to hear Shiho, he knew it when they set out for Arizona two days ago but he was suddenly forgetting.

"You mean, Shiho found that spirit link. That Master Splinter was always telling us about. We tried it when we were kids but we never got the hang of it," Donnie said. Collectively, the rest of his brothers hummed in agreement, remembering.

Mikey chuckled. "Dudes, I still have the bump on my head from when Splinter smacked us all for not getting it."

"I think we're all sort of ignoring the pressing matter here. Who cares about how she told you, it's _what_ she told you, Leo. Aren't you the least bit concerned?" Saundra growled, getting out of her seat. Leo snapped his attention back at the gecko with a furious glare that made her freeze where she stood.

"Of course I'm concerned; my mate is in the hands of that lunatic and Maddened asshole. And she's pregnant, how could you think I wouldn't be worried? You aren't helping, Saundra. Sit down and be quiet while I try to think, the situation just became dire…" Leo fell silent and Saundra sat back down.

"What did she even say, Leo?" Donnie said.

Leo palmed his face and leaned his head back against the seat with a sigh. Tilting his amber gaze out the window, he swallowed thickly.

"She just said that she needs me. That Aanika needs me. And then she said that my babies need me," he said quietly. The brothers sputtered as the hybrid sisters glanced nervously at each other.

"Woah, _babies?_! As in…the pluralized form of baby?"

"Yes, Donnie! She's having more than one. Can we please just focus on getting there?! We'll worry about the babies when she's safe," Leo snapped. Donnie flinched and gave his brother an apologetic smile. Leo couldn't blame Donnie for being the least bit surprised, he was still trying to wrap his brain around Shiho being stolen let alone being pregnant. There was just so much to focus on at once that Leo was afraid that he'd get lost. He didn't want to talk about the babies now, not until Shiho was safe in his arms and finally free of danger. Anything could happen between now and getting to her that could get his hopes up and destroy them. Like losing Shiho, Aanika, _and_ the babies…

"Sorry Leo…we're almost there. See that building just ahead?" Donnie pointed out the windshield to a small white building in front of the chopper. Leo's heart rate picked up as he grew closer to his fox, he'd do just about anything to get her back. He could imagine how afraid his girls were, Aanika had to be cowering and clinging to Shiho for dear life. Imagining his sweet, little Aanika with the look of fear on her face boiled Leo's blood.

"According to the girls and the research I've done, Marcus is a big wig in biological experimentation. Has a string of his own laboratories and everything, Silver Inc. His biggest success was the girls and was apparently humiliated when Shiho started showing signs of defiance," Donnie said, trying to revert the conversation elsewhere. The sisters sat back and nodded solemnly. They remembered all too well how utterly rebellious Shiho used to be when she hit her teenage years. They also remembered the harsh whippings she received in consequence.

Saundra scoffed. "I'll say. I can't even remember how many times Shiho was put in the confinement for biting Marcus. Look up rebel in the dictionary and all you'll see is a picture of Shiho."

"That was around the time we showed up with The Shredder, he hired Marcus to amp her up to be able to take us down. But of course, we sent that little slug into oblivion and Marcus lost all of his funding and his eventual big pay check. Which is why he's so hell bent on getting back at us."

"But what role does Karai play in this? I mean, wasn't she like…honorable and junk?" Mikey said, kneeling on the floor between Saundra and Fiona.

Leo snorted. "There was never anything honorable about her. She was using us. She knew that if she fed us information we'd trust her and be unprepared for a sudden attack after telling us Marcus would come at a set time. She's out for revenge again. I'll make her learn that you dig two graves when you seek revenge…"

All of the brothers and hybrids picked up Leo's change in energy, empowering them to get this done no matter what the cost. Both Donnie and Raph felt a change in their protective nature towards their mates, it amplified tenfold. They'd never felt such a strong urge to keep someone safe as they did now, Saundra and Fiona weren't exactly defenseless anymore but they still lacked the power and focus of their sister and the turtles. They'd need the boys more now than ever.

Closer they approached and the tiny white building expanded into an enormous structure, twice the size of the warehouse Shiho had stumbled out of. With hardly any windows and doors, it was going to be difficult to get inside. The perimeter was guarded heavily by Foot ninja and yet another electric fence, Karai was leading them right into the lion's den for her vengeance. On the top right corner in larger, silver lettering was printed for the world to see, Silver Inc. It left Leo to wonder how many other creatures Marcus made and destroyed before Shiho.

Raph sighed and palmed his face. "Ya gotta be kiddin' me…Leo, what do we do?"

Leo's face remained stoic but inside, he was ablaze with anger and disappointment. "We're going in the front door."

They were all surprised, none more than Raphael. But that didn't mean he didn't agree.

"Yeah, I think it's time we stopped sneakin' around and just storm the place to get back what's rightfully ours. Make a statement that lasts, no one takes our girls," His thick arm slipped around Saundra's waist and pulled her close. Saundra wasn't going to hide the fact that she was afraid and nuzzled under her turtle's chin.

"You guys do what you have to, but leave Karai to me. She knew I'd come after Shiho. If it's a fight she wants, it's a fight she'll get."

* * *

White walls. Four white walls and a single door that led to freedom. But Shiho couldn't escape. No door knob or latch left her stuck inside a room similar to the one she'd grown all too familiar with when she was growing up. She felt like a trapped animal inside a cage with 20 foot walls and that stupid observatory that Marcus always had to have. She wondered where Leo was, if he was here. Thinking about her turtle only made the ache in her chest expand and the lump in her throat rise, she missed him so much she felt like dying. She'd give anything to see him again.

The door swung open with Marcus, Micah, and Magdalena in tow. Marcus chuckled at the sight of Shiho curled up in the corner with her arms shielding Aanika. It would seem that her maternal instincts were kicked into overdrive. "Why the long face?"

Shiho growled. "What do you want, Marcus?"

The scientist said nothing and indicated with his head for Maggie to move. The blonde giggled and skipped her way over to her host. The closer she came, the louder Shiho's growls grew and clutched Aanika closer. And when she reached out, the violet vixen snarled and woke her sleeping little one. Aanika quivered when Magdalena reached out and snatched her by the wrist, yanking her out of Shiho's arms before she could think.

"Mama!"

"WAIT! Don't take her! Marcus, please!" Shiho stood to run after her clone as she made a dash out the door with a screaming Aanika. She was stopped short by a sobered Micah, his arm wrapping around her and slamming her back against the wall. Outside the door and going down the hall, Shiho's ears picked up the screams and wails coming out of Aanika in her terror. "Micah! Please, please let me go. Aanika!"

"Hold still, you troublesome child. We're just waiting for your little…'family' to get here and come to your rescue much like they did before," Marcus chuckled. Shiho struggled against Micah's hold but now that he was a puppet of The Madness, his strength more than doubled.

"And when they get here? Stop it!" She shrieked as the male fox traced his tongue up the length of her neck. His hand closed around her throat while the other pinned her shoulders to the wall. Those emerald eyes glittered with ill-intentions that struck fear into her heart. He was consumed by a lust he'd never had before, the lingering effects of The Madness turned him into a lecherous fox, hell bent on touching her wherever he could. "Give me back Aanika! Bring her back to me!"

"Easy. Leo's little ninja friend will be there to greet them. You remember Karai don't you?" Marcus chuckled shortly and clasped his hands together behind his back. He just observed Micah grope and squeeze the vixen that should have been his all along. The tears that poured down her beautiful face certainly entertained his sick mind. "Alright Micah, that's enough. She's not going anywhere."

Obediently, the male released Shiho and slithered his way beside Marcus.

"That's right, Micah. Obey your master like the dog you are," Shiho snapped. Micah in turn flipped her his middle finger without anything to come back with. "What do you plan on doing with my sisters once you've gotten rid of me?"

The scientist led his newest crony to the door and quickly locked him outside. He and Shiho were alone; creator and creation. His presence made her skin crawl and her stomach churn with bile.

"Take them apart, of course. You've all been failed experiments and I'm just going to start again. Regain that title that you stole from me all those years ago with your defiance," That crooked grin played his lips and Shiho felt her stomach squirm. He thought he was so handsome when he smiled like that, it made her sick.

"What about Micah and Magdalena?"

Marcus scoffed and folded his arms as he looked down upon his creation. Shiho didn't cower and instead stood as tall as she could, she already knew what he was about to say and reached up to her left ear and pretended to scratch it. Marcus thought nothing of it as she silently turned on her earpiece to record.

"Oh Shiho, you think I'm going to just finish with you and your sisters? No, once _all_ of you are out of the way and those disgusting reptiles are disposed of, Maggie and Micah will no longer be a nuisance. I'll take care of Micah and then end the night with Maggie, taking her apart piece by piece." He grinned. "You wouldn't believe how annoying she is, I can't stand the girl. Always calling me 'Daddy', but she's much more obedient than you ever were. She's come to the end of her usefulness."

"You're a monster, Marcus."

"You always say that, it hurts my feelings, Shiho. You should really take better care in how you speak to me; you never know when I might send your sister in here to have her fun. We wouldn't want to harm those disgusting little mistakes inside you now would we?" Shiho hissed and protectively covered her belly with her arms. Marcus was toying with her to make her react. Shiho wasn't going to play into his hands.

"How _did _you manage it? I would have thought being a mutant's whore you'd have been knocked up months ago," Shiho spat in his face when he came closer. Marcus' face fell and became devoid of any emotion as he wiped his cheek with the back of his wrist. The beeping of his watch communicator grabbed his attention and he pulled back the sleeve of his lab coat to answer.

"What is it? I'm busy." Magdalena's face appeared in a sketchy, small hologram on his wrist. Shiho rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Daddy, the turtles are here! Should I take care of them?" Marcus chuckled when Shiho gasped. Leo was here, at last. Already, she could feel his presence coming closer to her.

_Hurry, Leo…Hurry…_ She chanted in her head with her eyes closed, trying her best to focus her energy the way Splinter had her taught her.

"No, no. Let Karai take care of them, she's been dying to get her hands on that Leonardo. We should let her have her fun."

"On it, Daddy!" Magdalena was so trusting, Shiho couldn't understand. Marcus fed her lie after lie since the day she was born that he loved her when all he was going to do now was slaughter her. The man had no shame, no guilt, no heart or soul. It amazed the fox how he was able to look at himself in the mirror and not wretch, she certainly wanted to at just the sight of him. She flinched when he reached out to touch her cheek that had been sliced open.

"My, my. Looks like Micah got a little carried away. You're all cut up." She was sliced all over her body.

"No thanks to you. Where's Aanika?" She demanded, yanking her face away from his hand with a snarl.

"Just merely seperating you. Honestly Shiho, what were you thinking? Letting a mutant turtle take the role of being a father. Was this some sort of fantasy where you were a happy little family?"

"I was thinking I'm doing the best I can for her. Leo loves her like a daughter and she adores him. For the first time, she has a family that loves her. She was just starting to forget about you and the things you did to her and it's all thanks to Leo and her uncles." Even as she spoke, Shiho was still crying out for Leo. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep her Madness at bay; she had no way of knowing what it would do to her babies inside.

"Why does it matter to you, you never gave two shits about us, Marcus. And now, Maggie is going to know what you intend to do with her," Shiho smirked and caught Marcus off guard. He had no way of knowing that she had the earpiece recording, he couldn't see it under all the fur inside the shell. As they were, Donnie's cell was being streamed the recording.

"You're going to die today, Marcus. Make no mistake about it."

* * *

The turtles were neck deep in combat with dozens of Foot ninja, they just kept coming out of the woodwork and stealing all their valuable time. Raphael and Saundra were more than enjoying themselves, Leo had said once they landed that it didn't matter if any of them walked away or not. He was more than fed up with Karai and he was going to make damn sure that he made it clear that he was coming for her. Killing her little workers was one sure way to setting her off and bringing her out of wherever she was hiding.

"Man, these guys just keep comin'! HAAH!" Raph grunted as three ninjas piled onto the back of his shell. In response he jumped backwards and landed on top of them with all of his weight, crushing them between his carapace and the concrete floor. His dark eyes rolled when two more came sprinting towards him. Crouching down with his sais clutched in his hands, the red masked ninja chuckled as they came closer.

"Come on…come on!" He chanted and dashed forward. With a leap he sank both of his weapons into the center of his assailant's chests and launched backwards using them as a springboard. When the hired guns collapsed, Raph couldn't help but spin his sais and laugh. "Cheap…"

"Heads up, Raph!" Mikey yelled, body slamming another ninja that attempted to sneak up on his brother and conked him hard on the skull with the end of one nunchaku. "Bad ninja! Take a nap!"

"Guys! We need to get up the floors and find Shiho and Aanika!" Leo shouted, his katanas clashed together with another sword wielding Foot. His teeth clenched together against his opponent's strength trying to put him on his back. With a growing growl, Leo forcibly shoved the ninja back and sent him stumbling. Leo didn't give him time to recover as he sprung forward and slashed him open in the belly, bringing him to his knees in a crumpled pile.

Saundra and Fiona were back to back and surrounded by six ninjas. They closed the circle with their hands held up as if to grab the girls but they had something in store for them. Fiona grinned and let them get a little closer….a little closer.

"Ready? On three Sandy…" The gecko nodded and kept turning around with her sister. The circle was almost closed around them now. "THREE!"

Fiona jumped from a low crouch as Saundra got down and spun around, knocking all six ninjas on their backs with her thick tail. She landed on the chest of one hard enough to break his breast bone and cause him to scream. Irritated, she slapped him across the cheek. Donnie grinned from where he was fending off his opponents, watching Fiona defend herself.

"That's my girl!" Beamed the genius, spinning his bo and whacking skulls. The fox wiggled her tail excitedly hearing her mate, winking at him as she moved with her sister towards the stairs. There was no elevator in this building; they had to climb five stories on just the stairs. The task seemed daunting when there were ninjas coming out of every nook and cranny.

The brothers ran to join the sisters on the stairs and surrounded them, keeping them in the center. The boys growled at the approaching ninjas but were blindsided by a downpour of smoke pellets. It wasn't steam, so they couldn't see a thing but through the smoke they could hear Saundra and Fiona begin to cry out when they were suddenly cut off. Raphael and Donatello tensed and searched the smoke with their hands out in front of them.

"Fiona!" Donnie cried. "Fiona where are you?!"

Raphael snarled. "Saundra! Dammit, Saundra!"

The turtles choked and coughed from the thick air and dashed up the stairs to escape the cloud. Up two flights of stairs they sprinted, fending off chasing ninjas to their best efforts as their lungs burned and their eyes stung from the overwhelming smoke. Anxiously, Raph and Donnie searched the stairs and stared at the smoke cloud waiting for any sign of their mates. Panic surged through the both of them when they realized the girls weren't there, they had been taken. Just like Shiho.

"No! NO! Saundra! Answer me!" Raph bellowed, hoping that she'd yell at him to shut his trap. When he was answered with only silence, the hot headed turtle shoved his sai through the plastered wall with a loud grunt. "Dammit!"

"My, my Raphael. You sure do know how to destroy a place from its foundation. My sister certainly picked a wild one." Said a light voice from up the stairs. All four heads snapped around and their eyes landed on Karai, Magdalena, and Micah.

"Donnie…we'll take care of these three, you have the tracking device. Find Shiho…" Leo whispered to his brother. Silently, the genius nodded and readied his bo staff. Karai stood on the last flight of stairs, they were almost there! Her arms folded across her chest with her green eyes staring heavily onto Leonardo. The gaze made his blood boil and a veil of red to mask his vision. Karai was the reason Shiho was stolen, she betrayed them all.

"You don't look so happy to see me, Leonardo. Could it be perhaps that you are angry with yourself for not protecting your mate?" Karai was egging him on, she could tell by the way he stalked up the stairs with his katanas gripped tightly in his fists. Micah chuckled and looked at Raphael, winking at him in a way that caused the turtle to chuck a bladed star aimed between his pale emerald eyes. Without batting an eyelash, the male fox dodged to the side and laughed in Raphael's face.

"Karai…you aren't walking out of here today. You will fight me and we will end this once and for all," Leo rumbled, slicing his swords together and cutting the air as he made a running leap up the stairs. The blades made contact with Karai's own katana. Her small lips smirked and their battle begun. She'd been waiting years for this, the chance to finally put an end to the one who ruined Oroku Saki. But Leo was not having any of it today. His anger and his determination fueled him and propelled him forward sending kicks and blows.

"Aww…I get to play with the cute orange one? That's no fair, Micah trade me!" Magdalena cried. Mikey didn't want to fight her, he always found it difficult fighting a girl from the morals hammered into him by Splinter. Never hit a girl. But…this was Magdalena, the evil little twitch that was Shiho's sworn enemy. The girl who tried to take their vixen apart. From his battle with Raphael, the male fox hissed.

"Uhhh…so does that mean I'm off the hook?" Mikey said with a lazy smile. "You know I never got your number, Sweetheart."

Flirtatiously, Magdalena giggled. Must have been a fox thing because now she found herself deviously attracted to Michelangelo, despite her utter distaste towards her host.

"Shut up, Blondie! I'm busy!" Micah sent his foot into Raphael's plastron and sent him flying down the steps, crashing his carapace into the wall. The contact left an enormous dent in the wall's plaster when Raphael fell to the steps with a loud groan. Channeling that dark place in his mind, Micah called upon the Madness, trying to awaken the beast from its slumber.

"Alright, Tough Guy…let's dance…" Raph sneered, waving his sai in a motion that said 'Bring it on'.

"Guys! Come on!" Leo grunted as he slashed and deflected blows with Karai. She was fighting with everything she had today and wasn't going to stop until he collapsed from exhaustion. Then, she'd have his head. But Leo wasn't about to give up, he could still hear Shiho crying and calling for him and that alone kept him motivated enough to stay on his feet. "Look at yourself, Karai! You're fighting a battle that isn't your own for revenge. This has to stop!"

The female ninja swung for a roundhouse kick to Leo's face but he ducked and knocked her feet out from underneath her. She almost fell onto her back but caught herself with her hands and sprung forward with a battle cry, her katana raised above her head. Leo gasped and barely dodged in time but managed to grab her by the wrists and slam her back into the wall. From there, she fell onto the steps and spat, wiping her mouth with her hand.

"I will never stop! Not until every single one of you is destroyed and my father's vengeance is had. You must pay for what you've done, Leonardo!" She wailed, slicing her blade against Leo's bicep. The turtle groaned and hissed when his skin opened to the fresh wound and stumbled. Karai took her chance and took a swing at his other arm and cut him there too.

"I will start my vengeance with slicing those monster children that grow in your beloved's womb and hold them before your eyes. You will know what real suffering is when I at last cut her down. Then, Leonardo, I will finish with you."

The mention of his unborn children ignited a strange fire in Leonardo that he'd never felt before as he clenched his teeth and ran at the ninja swinging. He came at her like a ravenous animal with a thirst for only blood, slicing and hacking at her arms and legs. Cuts of all sizes sprung through her dark clothing and grew moist from her blood. Truly, Karai was afraid as Leo bellowed a cry she hadn't heard out of him in the years she's known him.

"You will not harm Shiho! I'll have you begging for your life if you so much as go near her," He growled, rushing her and pinning her against the wall with the sharp side of one of his blades held to her throat. Karai could see the flames in his amber eyes as he sneered and pressed the blade down onto her flesh.

Leo snorted. "Donnie! Go!"

Donnie saw his opportunity and pushed his way past the pinned Karai and the foxes and took off down the hallway through the stairwell door. He ran following the signal that Shiho's beacon was emitting all the while searching for his mate and the other two sisters. The hallway was long and wide, well lit with a row of solid doors on the left side. All marked with numbers. The Shell Cell beeped with Shiho's signal as he went along, looking in through the windows on the doors to see if he could find the other three.

"Shiho!" Donnie cried when he found the door she was behind. He could see her huddled in the corner, holding herself. Deep cuts in her arms and legs, and even that three clawed slash in her cheek made him wince. He couldn't imagine how painful it was. When he pounded his fist on the door, tall ears perked up and her head rose. Instantly, an elated and relieved grin came across her face.

"Donnie?" She rushed the door and clawed at it desperately. "DONNIE!"

"Stand back, I'm going to blow the lock!" He called, his voice muffled through the door but she could still hear him. Jumping back into the room, Shiho waited as Donnie stuck a small explosive over the lock of the door and let it detonate. Slowly, the thick door swung open and Shiho flung herself into the turtle.

"Donnie! Oh Donnie, you came!" Shiho buried her face against his neck and hugged him tight, she'd never been happier to see the genius. Relief washed over him when he realized she was essentially unharmed with no trace of The Madness. In his arms, she trembled with barely contained sobs trying her best to keep it together.

"Of course we came, we couldn't just leave you here. Are you alright?" He took her delicate face into his hands and examined that deep slash on her cheek. It looked harsh enough to leave a scar but with some of the oils ad creams back home, he could fix it.

"No I'm not okay, he's got Aanika somewhere. He isn't just after me anymore, Donnie. He's not stopping with me. He's going to take everyone out, Maggie included. We've gotta get outta here!"

"Okay, okay. You need to calm down, getting yourself this upset is not a good thing for the babies."

Shiho gasped and covered her mouth. "You know? H-how? I haven't told anyone yet."

"You told Leo. He heard you in his mind, I'll explain later but you need to stay calm, okay?" Shiho took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Donnie clutched her close with a sigh of relief. That was one sister, three to go.

"Where's Saundra and Fiona?" A look of disdain crossed Donnie's face.

"Your sisters were taken in a smoke screen before Raph and I could grab them. Do you have any idea where they might be?" Shiho clutched Donnie's arms and knit her brows together in thought. She tried desperately to remember where Marcus would take them in the old lab. From the stairwell, she could hear the rest of her brothers fighting and wondered just how they were fairing against Micah and Magdalena.

"The experimentation chamber. Come on I have an idea where it's at. Are the guys coming?" She asked, already out the door. She froze. "Where's Leo?"

As if on cue, from the stairwell, Shiho could hear Karai screaming and the stair door fly open. The female ninja came out first with a blade held to her throat and her head yanked back by the hair. She was being lead by Leo and writhed and struggled in his grasp, clenching her teeth and snarling angrily with each step she took. Leo really had the advantage this time, he wasn't about to let her go.

"Leo!" Shiho started towards him.

"Stop Shiho! Where are they Karai?" Leo hardly even acknowledged Shiho. His focus was on Karai who snarled at the sight of Shiho and kicked her legs and snarled like an animal. If Donnie hadn't grabbed Shiho's wrist, she would have acted and crushed Karai's spine in seconds.

Leo's grip on Karai's hair tightened. "Answer me when I'm talking to you! Where's my daughter, dammit!"

"D-…Door number five. Now let me go! I told you where she is!" Shiho's eyes widened when she noticed Leo's wrist twitch.

"I never said I was going to let you go. Now," Karai let out half a scream before being silenced by the blade of Leo's katana slicing through her larynx and cutting her delicate throat wide open.

"Say hello to your father for me."

Shiho almost screamed herself and hid herself away against Donnie's plastron. Never before had she seen the fine silver blade stained with blood. It was over in a matter of seconds, her nightmare with Karai. But…was it really a fair defeat?

No. Shiho couldn't think like that. Karai had betrayed all of them and practically handed her over to Marcus. She deserved to die. Years of pain and anguish dealt out by the hand of Karai and the Shredder were at last put to rest with the end of her. No longer would any of them have to look over their shoulders in case of a Foot Ninja ambush and no more would they be pursued by a vengeance seeking lunatic. But…Leo. Shiho had never believed he was capable of actually taking someone else's life. Then again, Leo had never felt more driven to protect anything more than Shiho.

With the flick of his blade, the silver was flung clean of any essence of Karai. Her blood would forever stain the weapon, he knew that. But as long as he didn't have to see it, he didn't have to acknowledge it. Returning the weapon into its sheath on his carapace, Leo panted heavily and stared at Karai intensely. Now she was just an empty shell of someone who was the cause of so much grief.

"Leo…" Shiho croaked from Donnie's embrace. At last, Leo came out of the dark place he was in and looked up to his mate. Donnie's arms dropped as Leo stepped over Karai's body with his own arms outstretched. Shiho hesitated for a moment. This must have been what Leo felt when he witnessed her consumed by the Madness when she made a meal out of that Purple Dragon. Fear.

"Shiho. It's me…" Was it? That fire in his amber eyes extinguished as he stood still, waiting for her to come to him. It pained him to see her beautiful skin torn open by so many cuts…her gorgeous face slashed in the cheek. When his arms slowly began to drop is when Shiho sprinted towards him and threw her arms around his neck, crashing into his plastron. She was afraid he'd disappear if she didn't hold him.

"Leo!" Instantly, his arms found their place around her waist and picked her up under her thighs, holding her high above him. Barely contained sobs came through smiling lips, tear filled eyes met his in bliss. Shiho leaned down and pressed a much overdue kiss against his lips, whimpering as she did so. It might have been the situation they were in but Shiho felt it was the best kiss they'd ever shared.

"Oh thank goodness…Oh Baby…are you alright? All of you?" Leo said, setting her down onto her feet. Donnie moved past them to look for door five, explosive ready. The blue masked turtle leaned down and touched foreheads with his mate, his hand resting against her tummy's bump. How did he not notice it before? There was definitely a prominant swell in her abdomen and it should have been so obvious, but they were so convinced that it was impossible they never considered it as a possibility.

Shiho nodded, laying her hand on top of his. "We're fine."

Leo shut his eyes and swallowed, his hand making small circular caresses through her shirt. He wondered if the little ones inside could feel him, if they knew how much he loved them already. "I can't believe you're—"

"Found her!" Donnie called, setting off his small explosive and blowing the door open. Both Leo and Shiho gasped when he was launched backwards by a tiny blur and a squeal. Childlike sobs and cries came from against Donnie's plastron as in his arms cowered Aanika. Both Leo and Shiho hurried to their brother's side where Aanika threw herself onto Leo.

Aanika squirmed until he held her tight and buried her face against his neck. "Daddy came!"

Leo smiled. "Yeah, sweetheart. Daddy came for you."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so perhaps I have the slightest chip on my shoulder when it comes to Karai...okay I give. I hate the bitch. She had to die! It wasn't as climactic as I wanted it to be but I just seriously didn't know what else to do. I kind of came up with almost nothing for this chapter e-e I'm running out of juice here! Almost done!**


	25. Shortlived Hero

**A/N: WE AREN'T FINISHED YET DUCKIES! But at last we have reached the very top of our climactic hill! With a twist here and there to keep it as fresh as I can. Yes, there is a movie reference in here, see if you can find it ;) Enjoy my loves! Review. Review! REVIEW!**

**************NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

_Leo shut his eyes and swallowed, his hand making small circular caresses through her shirt. He wondered if the little ones inside could feel him, if they knew how much he loved them already. "I can't believe you're—"_

_"Found her!" Donnie called, setting off his small explosive and blowing the door open. Both Leo and Shiho gasped when he was launched backwards by a tiny blur and a squeal. Childlike sobs and cries came from against Donnie's plastron as in his arms cowered Aanika. Both Leo and Shiho hurried to their brother's side where Aanika threw herself onto Leo._

_Aanika squirmed until he held her tight and buried her face against his neck. "Daddy came!"_

_Leo smiled. "Yeah, sweetheart. Daddy came for you."_

* * *

"Oh shit…Mikey! We gotta bail man!" Raphael shouted. He was being quickly overpowered by a Maddened Micah who had the turtle against the steps on his carapace and held back by Raph's sai. The ninja could see the intense emerald glow intensify in his eyes and those canines growing in their length and thickness as they chomped in his face. Micah bellowed and howled like a ravenous beast, squirming all over Raphael to get a leg up to put an end to his lust for that bone snapping crunch. He hissed from the searing pain from Micah's claws digging into his hands that were fending him off and clutching his sai.

"Help bro! I'm about to be fox kibble!" Raph cried, clenching his teeth as Micah's strength was beginning to wear him down. Like Shiho, Micah was coherent.

"None of you are taking Shiho from me. She belongs with me, and if I have to tear those disgusting infants from her with my bare hands then so be it," He said with a tone so menacing that Raph found himself shuddering. Mikey and Magdalena had been sizing each other up but hadn't actually taken a swing yet. But hearing Raphael struggling forced the ninja turtle to take his eyes of the blonde fox and send his foot flying into the side of Micah's face.

"Go, dude, go!" Micah belted out a wild roar as he fell down the steps, the turtles making a run for the top of the stairs and avoiding Maggie altogether. It surprised them both that she hadn't fought them after all the grief she's given Shiho. They didn't have time to think and just had to focus on getting out, Raph's mind was full of finding Saundra and taking her into his arms where she'd be safe once again.

They burst through the stairway door and shouted at the same time. "Leo! Donnie!"

The genius and leader turtles looked over their shoulders from down the hall. They smiled in relief, Aanika shrieked happily from Leo's arms at the sight of her uncles, essentially unscathed. Shiho was the first to bolt down the hall and throw her arms around both of her brothers, elated to see them.

"Raph! Mike! You're okay, thank God."

Raph chuckled before he got a good look at her when she finally let go. "Woah but you look like you were tossed in the blender, sis. You alright?"

Touching the burning cut on her cheek, the fox shrugged her shoulders and nodded. "I'm fine. What about you guys?"

"Well, I think the hot little blonde is on our side now. But the other dude…well…" Mikey started but faded out when Shiho picked up the sound of heavy footsteps coming out of the stairwell and pushed her brothers out of the line of fire. They both yelped and stumbled backwards as Shiho took the full force of Micah's body slam into the adjacent door, knocking it off its hinges.

"Shiho!" The brothers cried all at once. Aanika squirmed wildly as Leo hurriedly handed her over to Donnie to hold. Inside the bare room the foxes rolled over each other until Shiho used her feet and kicked Micah in the stomach and flung him over her head. He landed flat on his back but recovered quickly, The Madness feeding into his reflexes.

"Leo don't! He's Mad!" Shiho cried as Leo nearly entered the room with his swords drawn. Shiho and Micah circled each other much like he'd seen her do with Saundra, like lions sizing each other up for the fight. "Keep Aanika back, go find my sisters!"

"But-!"

"Leo! Please!" Shiho couldn't take her eyes off Micah. She knew that the second she looked away is when he would attack her and take her down before moving to the rest of her family. As long as his focus was on her, everyone else was safe. Reluctantly…painfully, Leo sheathed his katanas and took off with his brothers to find the last of the hybrids. Shiho's ears burned at the sounds of Aanika's mortified screams of being separated again, but at least she was safe.

"Just you and me, Micah. Like you always wanted." She said, her voice lowered as she continued her circle around the Maddened fox.

"You were supposed to be with me, Shiho. Always with me. And now look at you, tainted and pregnant by that disgusting mutant," Closing her violet eyes and channeling the darkness in her mind, Shiho willingly called upon her Madness with the sense of control that Splinter had been teaching her over the last year. It was with her powerful conscience that she managed to harness the raging lust for bones and the burning fever that spread through her body. When her eyes opened, they were ablaze with the Madness, but this time she was in control.

"Let's dance, Micah," She hissed. The foxes stilled for not more than a second before pouncing at each other with claws out and collided. But Shiho had been inflicted with her Madness for much longer and was thus much more powerful than Micah. She had him pinned in the first roll they made with his face down onto the floor, held down by his hand with his wrists held together behind his back. He writhed and howled mercilessly as Shiho's hand crept down to his neck to sink her nails just into the skin.

"Give up, we aren't even three seconds into this fight and I've already won. I'll snap your neck right now." Shiho chuckled something evil and devious as she licked her chops. Even tough the lust was contained she still felt it there tugging at the back of her mind for just a taste.

"Oh how I long to sink my jaws into your bones, to feel your delicious marrow seethe between my teeth and flow effortlessly down my throat," Her tongue dragged up the back of his neck much like he had done to her earlier and hummed. "Mmmm…Micah I bet you taste exquisite."

Micah wasn't ready to be defeated, not yet. He tossed his head back and collided with Shiho's face as hard as he could and sent her onto her back with her hands over her busted lip and nose. The male fox pulled himself to his feet and launched at his would-be mate once again as she rolled out of his reach and he sent his fist into the floor with a howl. Shiho swore she heard the crunch of his fingers and felt herself slipping with that sound. No. She wasn't going to be the slave to her Madness anymore.

"Come on, Micah. If you want me, come get me," Shiho taunted. Micah spit and clenched his teeth as he charged the female. She smiled and nailed him in the face with her left fist and then her right, stunning him long enough to make him stand still. She then whipped around with a leap and sent the heel of her shoe into the side of his head and knocked him down.

"Shiho! You belong to me!" Micah snarled as he regained his balance. "You always belonged to me and yet you choose that freak and now you carry his spawns."

Micah's blood chilled when he sensed the presence of another behind him and heard the signature unsheathing of Leo's katana. Shiho chuckled when he backed up into the very point, being met by the growl of Shiho's mate. Even Magdalena joined in with the abstract family. Looks like she was switching sides.

"Don't you want to know what Marcus plans to do with you after you finish me?" The glitter in those chemical optics made the Maddened fox freeze. She glanced at Leo, the look on his face was that of worry and panic. But when she smiled and the glow faded, he was overcome with relief.

"Nice to see you found a way to control it."

"Took some practice. Donnie, throw me your Shell Cell." Shiho ordered. Donnie stood confused with a protective arm around Fiona. "Just do it."

"Alright, alright." From his belt, the genius withdrew his phone and tossed it to the female. Catching it in one hand, the vixen pressed a few buttons before flashing a glance up to her clone that stood alone amongst the family.

"Pay attention to what your 'Daddy' wants to do to you, Maggie. Maybe then you'll understand just how utterly insane he is." Shiho pressed one last button before turning up the volume. The blonde vixen came closer with an uneasy stride to listen. Before anything could be heard, the mutants and the hybrids all froze when from behind them a throat cleared.

Shiho hissed. "Marcus!"

"Daddy!" Maggie faltered between her host and creator as the turtles moved aside. Marcus stood in the doorway with his arms folded across his broad chest. Cold blue eyes bore directly into Shiho as a sneer tugged on his thin lips. The vixen rumbled a deep growl in the pit of her chest as he came through the doorway.

"You always were my biggest failure," He said, stopping just in front of her. Leo flinched when he saw the scientist pull his arm back and slapped Shiho across the jaw hard enough to make her yelp and fall. Leo jumped when she fell to her knees.

"Hey! You son of a—"

"I wouldn't come much closer, mutant." Marcus said shortly, Shiho at his feet on her knees holding her jaw. Leo stopped in his tracks, his chest heaving with hard breaths. The scientist chuckled when the turtle obeyed and withdrew a small remote from his lab coat pocket. "See this? It's a detonator. This entire building is wired with powerful explosives in case I needed a way out. You take one more step and I kill us all. Now. Back up, your end will come soon, mutant."

Shiho snarled at the way Marcus spoke to Leo, spoke to him like a diseased dog who wasn't worthy of breath. With the Shell Cell still in her grasp, the vixen cackled and pressed play. Before everyone and Marcus, the recording from her earpiece crackled to life.

_"What about Micah and Magdalena?"_

The turtles tensed at the sound of Shiho's recorded voice. Marcus broke out into a cold sweat across his forehead. He hadn't the slightest idea that his creation was acting true to fox-like nature; sly and deviously cunning. Both Micah and Magdalena stilled at the sound of their names, flashing glowing glares in the direction of their creator.

_"Oh Shiho, you think I'm going to just finish with you and your sisters? No, once __all__ of you are out of the way and those disgusting reptiles are disposed of, Maggie and Micah will no longer be a nuisance. I'll take care of Micah and then end the night with Maggie, taking her apart piece by piece."_

Maggie gasped and covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her loud cry, Micah slowly began to sober as the waves of the Madness pulled away from the shores of his mind. The brothers all exchanged glances, they actually felt bad for the two foxes. Shiho smirked, she wasn't done yet.

"This is my favorite part, Marcus. You should really hear yourself." Shiho whispered. Magdalena looked at her host with bewildered eyes.

_"You wouldn't believe how annoying she is, I can't stand the girl. Always calling me 'Daddy', but she's much more obedient than you ever were. She's come to the end of her usefulness."_

And with that, Shiho ended the recording and tossed the cell back to Donnie. Haunting blue eyes widened as Magdalena slowly turned her head to Marcus, her pretty pink lips curling into a dangerous sneer. Leo lowered his sword once Micah moved away from Shiho and instead advanced Marcus alongside Maggie.

"You…you want to take me apart Daddy?" The two foxes corned him between the walls, their attention completely lost from the turtles and foxes. Leo took his chance and rushed to pick Shiho up to her feet.

"You turned me into this monster only to kill me afterwards?! All to get Shiho? You said that when she came back we'd be mates!" Shiho reunited with her family but kept her eyes on the three in the corner.

"Why? I've been nothing but loyal to you. My entire life. Don't you love me, Daddy?" Magdalena could feel her heart breaking and her trust shattering as her creator growled and held up his detonator for all to see.

"Back up! Both of you! None of you will understand the humiliation I suffered because of _that_ wretched girl," He said, pointing right at Shiho as she clung to Leonardo for dear life.

"Time and time again I failed in all of you. The only solution was to get rid of each and every one of you!" The two foxes jumped back a step when he hovered his thumb over the detonation button. He was absolutely insane! He was more than willing to kill himself if it meant getting rid of all of the turtles and his creations.

"Marcus don't! You'll kill yourself in the process! How can you restart your research when you're dead? Think, Marcus!" Shiho cried.

"Quiet Shiho. I've had enough of you. I want you to just die. All of you. Saundra, Fiona, Magdalena, Micah…and even you Aanika." His steel blue gaze landed on the little fox in Donatello's arms, making the turtle shy her away from his line of sight like the protective uncle that he was.

At the mention of the smallest fox Leo sneered and shielded her from Marcus' view. He'd be damned if anything was going to happen to his little one, he'd sooner perish than let her meet such a fate at such a young age. Shiho's mind raced as she desperately tried to think of a plan. Her family was in dire straights and she had to get them out.

"Daddy…"

"Stop calling me Daddy!" Marcus lost it and pressed the button. Instantly, the building tremored and the turtles and foxes almost lost their footing. Shiho pushed her family out of the blank room, desperate to make sure they all escaped. Leo protested.

"You guys have to go! GO!" She said, shoving them all as a group out.

"Shiho don't! You have to come with us! This building is coming down!" Leo cried. Shiho stood frozen in the space between Leo and the three in the corner. Marcus laughed maniacally from where he stood.

"I told you! I told you I'd get rid of you, all of you! And you, Shiho, you're staying right here with me!" Marcus rose to launch himself at Shiho to pin her down and hold her in place to be destroyed. He wasn't about to die without taking her with him and grabbed her by the wrist. Leo leapt into action and twisted Marcus' wrist to make him let go.

"Oh shut-up Marcus! You're staying right here with me. A good captain always goes down with his ship." Micah snarled and swiped his claws across his creator's face. He pushed Maggie out the door to join the turtles before putting his hands on Shiho's shoulders. Leo flinched at the sight, he nearly lost it all when Shiho actually wrapped her arms around him. What?

"You need to go, Shiho. Your family needs you. If I don't stay, Marcus will come after you." Shiho's chest heaved with hard breaths as she swallowed the painful lump in her chest. Micah was giving himself up to save her.

"No, no. Micah don't do this, come with us and I'll teach you how to control it. Please, Micah. You don't have to die," Was Shiho insane? This guy was literally at her throat five minutes ago and now she wanted him to live, Leo couldn't make heads or tails of his mate. Jealousy flared dangerously within him when Micah ran his hands through her violet bangs and back through the chestnut locks. Shiho affectionately pet the sides of his handsome face with unmistakable tears in her eyes, shaking her head trying to change Micah's mind. "Come with me, Micah. We can fix it, you don't need to do this!"

Micah smiled in way that he never had before; kindly.

"You'll never understand how much I love you, Shiho. I know you've always thought this but I wasn't programmed that way. You're the most beautiful, caring, and radiant woman I've ever been able to know. And if sacrificing myself means that you'll make it out of here alive then that's what I have to do. Our destinies have always been entwined, Shiho….but they never joined…" Leo froze and felt his heart drop into his stomach when the male leaned down and pressed his very human lips against Shiho's, kissing her in a very intimate manner. He could hear his brothers and sisters calling for him, but he couldn't bring his feet to move. Not when Shiho wasn't fighting back.

Watching this exchange stung and put an arrow right through the center of Leo's heart. Only he ever kissed Shiho like that…and there he was. Micah kissed her slowly and deeply, his lips molded with hers in a way that Leo only wished his would. Inside he was screaming for her to push the fox away, to slap him. But she did nothing. He couldn't understand.

"Forgive me for what I've done, I see now why it was that you chose the turtle. He really is the one for you. Have those beautiful babies and make yourself happy. But please…don't forget about me." Again, Shiho feverishly shook her head and pleaded with her eyes.

"Micah—"

"Now go!" Forcibly, he shoved her hard out the door as Marcus reached out again to grab her again. Shiho took one last painful look at Micah and said a silent goodbye before being yanked away by Leo. Down the stairs they flew with their family, all the while Marcus' screams and pleas echoed through the shaking building.

Chunks of ceiling came crashing down all around them as small explosions began to go off, making ready for the big one that would eventually come. The ninjas dodged and jumped over enormous pieces of concrete, avoiding the flying and sparking wires that began to dangle from the broken in ceiling. Magdalena stumbled and fell onto her belly. Mikey screeched to a halt and ran back to pick her up.

"Let's go, Maggie! Party's over!" He said with a smile. She swore her heart flipped in her chest as he held her hand and navigated throughout the quaking lab building. Shiho fought to keep every member of her family in sight before they finally came to the front doors. More explosions rocked the building and Aanika clenched her eyes shut and tried to keep herself from screaming as Donnie held her tight. He wasn't about to drop her and leave her behind.

Saundra was beginning to tire as her lungs burned from inhaling the thick smoke that started to surround them. She coughed and choked as her hand slipped out of Raphael's grasp. He ran a few paces more before realizing his mate wasn't behind him or in his hand. Instantly, he began to panic.

"Saundra? Saundra! Where are you?!" He called, coughing and gagging from breathing in the thick, black air.

The glass doors didn't stand a chance when Leo and Donnie crashed through them and stumbled outside. The genius was regretting the decision to land the helicopter so far away. Fiona followed and then Mikey and at last Maggie. They all started sprinting towards the hidden vehicle before Leo stopped in his tracks, noticing Shiho wasn't there.

"Raph! Raphael we have to go!" Shiho screamed into the black smoke. Her hands desperately searched for her brother, she was absolutely blind. Her grasp found his wrist and she started for the door, jumping through the shattered frame and rolling down the steps to the desert sand below.

"NO! SAUNDRA IS STILL IN THERE!" Raph wailed as Shiho ran with his hand in hers. A few more seconds passed as they ran as fast as they could before the final explosion detonated. The shockwave sent the last two flying, flipping over and over until they landed on their backs in the sand. Leo dashed and picked his mate up, her coughing making him worry. Raphael stood slowly with knocking knees and a terrified expression. Shiho looked around and made sure everyone was there. Everyone except…

"Where's Saundra?" She asked quietly. The red masked turtle sputtered and took a few staggering steps towards the collapsed building. "Raphael…where…is my sister?"

"She…she was right behind me. And…and she let go of my hand. She's still inside—SHIHO WAIT!" The vixen leader sprinted with all of her might back to the now pile of rubble.

"Oh shit." Leo sputtered and ran after her. Shiho launched herself into the hot pile of cement and twisted support beams. Her nails clawed at the chunks, trying to dig her way through to get to wherever Saundra might be. Leo wrapped his hands around her waist and tugged her backwards. "Shiho it's spent! Don't go in there!"

"No, no, no! Saundra! Saundra!" Her cries for her sister were desperate and impetuous in their nature. Shrill and screeching in their sound. Leo tried and pulled as hard as he could but she kept crawling right back into the pile to scrape her nails into the rubble until her nails cracked and bled. "Leo let me go! SAUNDRA!"

Leo grunted against her strength. "Shiho stop!"

Raphael fell in beside Shiho only to be shoved roughly to the side with a growl as Shiho continued to search.

"NO!"He lay on the ground staring up at the nefarious fox. She couldn't be detoured from finding her sister, no, Saundra was part of the small family—the only family Shiho had. She wasn't about to let anyone get their hands on her when she found her, not even Raphael.

"Shiho! I said stop! It's over!" Leo said as he at last yanked his mate off the blazing rubble pile and clutched her tightly to his plastron. Shiho screamed from the pit of her stomach and sobbed painfully. In the emptiness of the desert, her screams were the loudest thing they'd ever heard. Doing his best to comfort his mate, Leo wrapped his arms further around her slender form, tucking her head under his chin and clutching her hair.

"S-…Saundra!" Shiho wailed. Raphael had never felt as numb as he did in that moment as he stared with empty eyes into the flames and pile of rubble. His mate was somewhere in that gnarled mess and he couldn't get to her. Shock was a good word to spell out Raphael's behavior; unmoving and devoid of any emotion.

"Shhh…I know, I know…" Leo chanted, smoothing his hand through her hair as she heaved and borderline hyperventilated.

Around Shiho and Leo the siblings all gathered, Fiona moving to embrace Raphael's arm. He didn't even feel her there; he couldn't see anything except for the fire. He couldn't stop himself from seeing his beautiful Saundra buried under all of that concrete…being crushed and burned. The sisters, even Magdalena, felt a sense of emptiness without their gecko sister. Shiho cried, she cried hard until she felt that she was about to be sick. Her shoulders shook wildly and her frame trembled in Leo's protective hold.

"What's everyone looking so depressed about?"

Instantly, all of the ears on the foxes pricked upward and everyone snapped their heads to the left. Shiho laughed through her sobs, she sounded hysterical in her shock as Saundra came out through a stream of smoke holding her left arm. Her skin was stained black and the ends of her hair were fried but she…she was alive. Shiho picked up a trail of dirt as she ran to her sister and threw her arms tightly around her shoulders.

"SAUNDRA!"

"WOAH!" The sisters toppled backwards and landed in the dirt with a thump. The other hybrids sprinted and joined in a fox pile, even Aanika, all giggling and cooing. "Oh my God get off me! My shoulder's dislocated!"

The brothers all breathed a drawn out sigh of relief now that everyone was out of the building in one piece. But now that it was over, Leo was left to replay in his head Shiho being kissed by Micah. She seemed to sense the perturbed energy radiating from Leo's being, he was seething dismay, envy, and betrayal.

Lifting herself out of the pile of foxes, Shiho took Leo by the hand and pulled him away from the family as they all gathered around each other. Raphael helped Saundra pop her arm back in place only to receive a fist in the arm.

"OW!"

"That HURTS Raph!"

Leo chuckled to himself and turned to see his mate. Already she could see the distress in his beautiful amber eyes and she knew exactly why. He couldn't look at her and focused on the family getting to know Magdalena. She was more than surprised that they were so willing to accept her. With gentle fingers under his chin, Shiho directed his gaze back towards her.

"Leo…look at me. About what happened—"

"You don't need to explain it to me. Clearly, part of you cares about Micah." The defeat in his voice was enough to stomp her heart into the ground. Before he could pull away, Shiho placed one hand against his cheek and moved to lay his hand on her belly. Shiho had to make him understand that he was the one she wanted. That it was simply a kiss.

"Leo, I love _you._ I didn't know he was going to do that. But—Baby look at me!" Again his head turned away but snapped back with her hands on either side of his face. Her soft palms caressing his cheeks and bringing him back to the time when he first fell in love with her. "Leo, it was a kiss. A goodbye kiss. Nothing like the beautiful kisses you and I share. I will never love anyone as much as I love you. I'm having _your_ babies, Leo. Yours. I'm not about to turn my back on you."

"But you…you didn't pull back. Why?"

"Because Micah was sacrificing his own life to save mine. With all that he did to me, I still owed it to him. Micah is dead because of me, but all of us are safe. Without him, Marcus would have pinned me down and I wouldn't be standing her with you now. These babies inside me wouldn't have had a chance if he didn't stay behind."

Leo swallowed painfully and gripped the fabric of her shirt over her belly. Just inside were his little ones. He hated that Micah had kissed his mate…hated it so much that he felt hideous. But without the fox's sacrifice both Shiho and the babies wouldn't have made it. For that, and that alone, he owed Micah his life. He'd fallen silent for a long time, coming to grips with his inner battle. "Leo?"

"I'm sorry," He whispered, before kissing her hard. Shiho yelped, caught off guard, but instantly relaxed when his arms came around her and squeezed her just enough to not hurt the little ones. Her long lashes fluttered as her eyes came to close. Leo kissed her like he hadn't gotten the chance to do so in a decade; slow and passionate.

"Aww.." Mikey cooed at the sight of his brother and Shiho. The foxes untangled themselves from their pile, Fiona and Saundra leaping into the arms of their turtles. Raph squeezed Saundra tighter than ever and held her close.

"I thought I lost you. Don't ever scare me like that again, Stupid." Mikey and Maggie shuffled their feet, feeling awkward among the couples and avoiding each other's blue-eyed gazes. They all seemed to forgive the fact that Maggie and Shiho were nothing but enemies before today, she marveled at how forgiving they all were.

"So…you kinda saved my life back there, Stud Muffin. Maybe my sisters aren't so crazy after all," She said, clasping her hands behind her back and swaying from side to side next to the orange masked brother.

"Aw shucks, it was nothin'. Oh they're crazy though, turtle crazy!" Mikey began to giggle and guffaw like an idiot when Maggie clutched the top of his plastron and planted a big wet one right on his lips. Mikey saw stars.

"Woah! Far out, dudes!" From their distance, Leo and Shiho chuckled. He knelt down and pushed up the hem of her cotton tee and placed his large hands on her hips. Shiho smiled warmly as he pressed two kisses against her belly button, one for each little life inside. Affectionately, Shiho grazed her hand against his head as he nuzzled the soft skin of her warm tummy.

"Come on, guys! Let's go home!" Shiho called out. Noticing Leo cuddling her little bump, the family remembered and all burst into excited laughter, chasing the pair back to the helicopter to make their way back home. The girls were all a-twitter about Shiho's pregnancy now that they had the chance to gush like girls. They squealed and took turns rubbing the small bump on Shiho's belly, all talking to the growing little babies inside. Even Aanika took a turn talking to them, giving the bump a kiss.

For the first time in a long time they were all safe. No one was coming after them; there was no revenge to be sought, no score to settle. They could all finally be a family once again and live without having to constantly have eyes in the back of their head. Leo felt an enormous weight off his shoulders only to have it replaced with another though it was much less daunting. The idea of Shiho carrying his offspring was mind blowing, especially since he was convinced since the day they fell in love that getting pregnant wasn't even possible. Being a father to Aanika wasn't easy, but he loved doing it. Getting that chance to do so with kids of his own flesh and blood was both exciting and terrifying.

As the helicopter pulled up into the sky, Shiho took a last long look out the window to the smoking and burning pile that was once Marcus' biggest laboratory. She pressed a kiss to two of her fingers and laid them against the window, saying her silent goodbye and thanks to Micah. She'd never forget what he did for her even if he tried killing her just before. It didn't matter, he sacrificed himself so she could live the life that she wanted even if he wasn't in the picture.

"Hey Shiho, come over here!" Mikey called. Shiho giggled and turned her attention away from the destruction and focused on her family. Aanika snuggled happily in her lap, Fiona and Donnie sat together in the cockpit, Saundra and Raphael arm wrestled, and Leo kept an arm protectively over her shoulders.

Never again were any of them being taken away.

All that was left now was to prepare for the quickly approaching future.

* * *

**A/N: Micah was actually a good guy! D: Noooo. Haha, I'm sorry, I couldn't let someone as gorgeous as Micah go down in flames without some sort of a bang. Hahaha, and how about that Saundra huh? Sneaky sneaky! Didya guess what movie I was referencing with Micah? Huh? HUH?! No? Review this and tell me if you knew. You'll see what inspired me to make Micah a hero. Keep reading duckies! **


	26. I'm Happy Again

**A/N: Holy crap! I leave for California in 3 days! D8 Where did all my time go?! Oh sweet literate speed, please bless me so I can finish this story by Tuesday night! Oh man. We're getting to that sappy, gooey, adorable stuff now that all the conflict is over. DEAL WITH IT. I'm in the moody for being cheesy BI.**

**************NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

_For the first time in a long time they were all safe. No one was coming after them; there was no revenge to be sought, no score to settle. They could all finally be a family once again and live without having to constantly have eyes in the back of their head. Leo felt an enormous weight off his shoulders only to have it replaced with another though it was much less daunting. The idea of Shiho carrying his offspring was mind blowing, especially since he was convinced since the day they fell in love that getting pregnant wasn't even possible. Being a father to Aanika wasn't easy, but he loved doing it. Getting that chance to do so with kids of his own flesh and blood was both exciting and terrifying._

_As the helicopter pulled up into the sky, Shiho took a last long look out the window to the smoking and burning pile that was once Marcus' biggest laboratory. She pressed a kiss to two of her fingers and laid them against the window, saying her silent goodbye and thanks to Micah. She'd never forget what he did for her even if he tried killing her just before. It didn't matter, he sacrificed himself so she could live the life that she wanted even if he wasn't in the picture._

_"Hey Shiho, come over here!" Mikey called. Shiho giggled and turned her attention away from the destruction and focused on her family. Aanika snuggled happily in her lap, Fiona and Donnie sat together in the cockpit, Saundra and Raphael arm wrestled, and Leo kept an arm protectively over her shoulders._

_Never again were any of them being taken away._

_All that was left now was to prepare for the quickly approaching future._

* * *

The adjustment to life in secret and shadow was, without a doubt, the biggest change for Magdalena to become accustomed to. Protocol called for the blonde vixen to be accepted by Splinter, first and foremost. Even though he was no longer the sensei or leader of the family, he was still the head of the family. Shiho was having the hardest time out of all of her sisters swallowing their new situation, having Magdalena around as a permanent member of their strange crowd never allowed her to let her guard down. If Michelangelo hadn't become so attached to her, she wouldn't have even been allowed into the helicopter when they left the destroyed laboratory. It didn't take much for Magdalena to set Shiho off to the point where Leo had to physically hold her back.

Needless to say, Shiho was grumpy. Shiho was snappy. Being pregnant never helped when her mood swings hit the roof and she screamed at anyone and everyone unlucky enough to be in her line of vision. Why just last week she nearly caused Michelangelo to soil himself after he spilled soda on her favorite blanket. A majority of the time, the ferocity was directed towards Magdalena and ended in a harsh scolding from her mate. Leo understood why she was so upset, but that didn't mean he was going to allow her to disrupt the peace that was in the home. Everyone was walking on eggshells around the irritated, pregnant fox. She spent the last few weeks hanging out with April in the apartment during the day just to stay away from Magdalena.

The less fights that Leo had to break up, the better. It was Saundra versus Shiho all over again. Only now with a fox that actually made attempts on the vixen leader's life.

"Hey, I have a cousin who's an OB/GYN, you want me to give her a call? She knows about the guys and is pretty cool with them all, well, cool with Don at least," April said, painting Shiho's nails at the kitchen table. Shiho was only in her 14th week, but she had quite the baby bump at this point. There was no mistaking her pregnancy for pudginess anymore. Shiho sighed heavily and flattened her tall ears; she'd been doing her reading and taking her necessary vitamins, but actually knowing what was going on inside her body would have been a weight off her shoulders.

"Yeah, I don't see why not. The ultrasound that Marcus performed was the only one I've ever had and Leo is itching to see them. Donnie has been absolutely consumed with studying about gestation and development. It couldn't hurt to have an actual doctor around to help him out."

"At least he's trying. How's Leo been with all of this? I know this must have shocked him. I mean twins?" Shiho chuckled as the red head brushed a coat of dark silver on the elegant nails of her right hand.

"He's coping. But he won't let me do anything by myself and practically carries me everywhere. It's sweet, don't get me wrong, but not necessary," Dipping the thin brush back into the bottle to recoat it, Shiho blew on her nails to make the paint dry as April moved to her left hand. It had been so long since they just sat back and had girl time together like they used to before the sisters showed up. Shiho missed April, aside from the boys she was the first friend she ever made.

April giggled. "He's just worried. I mean…look at you. You're barely four months pregnant but you already look like your pushing six. I mean what's up with that?"

"Donnie thinks it might have something to with my DNA. Red foxes and red ear slider turtles have a gestation period of only two months while humans have to go for nine months. We think my body is compensating and meeting somewhere in the middle. Which is _so_ comforting might I add, knowing I could pop any day."

Absentmindedly, the fox rubbed the side of her swollen bump and crossed her legs. She looked absolutely exhausted, like she hadn't slept in weeks. The babies had been more active lately when she would try for sleep, kicking and squirming until she couldn't take it anymore and got out of bed so they'd settle. She did enjoy watching Leo's face light up when he'd rest his hands on her belly when they chose to wiggle around, that was something she never got tired of seeing; his happiness.

The girls giggled and gossiped like old times until Casey came home with groceries. Shiho was always happy to see her favorite thick-headed vigilante and waddled over to give him a hug.

"Hey, there's my Fuzzball."

Shiho chuckled and playfully smacked Casey in the chest. "Hey there, Casanova."

"So! We growing some hockey players in there or is Uncle Casey gonna have to teach 'em a thing or two?" He snickered. Shiho and April rolled their eyes and both snatched a yogurt out of the grocery bag and left him to put the food away.

"Yeah, yeah Casey. Keep dreaming. You'll be lucky if you get to see them through the protective bubble that Leo is going to put around them," Shiho sat against the cushions with a pillow under the small of her back. The miracle of life was a beautiful thing but it sure wreaked havoc on her spine and hips.

"I'm gonna go make that call to Linda, my cousin. Sit tight and I'll be right back," April said. Shiho nodded as Casey came to plop down beside her with his legs propped up on the coffee table and his arm slung across the couch behind her head. He wasted no time in commandeering the TV to flip the channel to a hockey game. Tall ears twitched back and forth as she ate her yogurt in contentment, completely comfortable just relaxing with lazy, ol' Casey.

"So, any idea what you're havin'?" Shiho shook her head as she stuck a spoonful in her mouth and swallowed, her eyes glued to the game. St. Louis Blues at Anaheim.

"Nuh-uh. Haven't had another ultrasound after we got back. We don't even know what they look like yet. April is calling her cousin though to set something up."

Casey belched making her grimace. He was as bad as Raph and Mike.

"Sounds good, Short Stuff. How's Mikey doin' with that sister of yours?" Casey flinched when he noticed her lip twitch and her eyes roll. Must have still been a sensitive subject with her.

"Fine I guess. And she's _not_ my sister…just my clone." Softly, Casey chuckled and ruffled the hair at the back of her head, silently saying he was dropping the topic.

"Still pouting?" Both couch loungers looked to the window where Leo was perched. Shiho's face brightened with a smile as she struggled to stand and hobbled over to help him through. She hummed happily when he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her spot under his chin.

"Hey Leo Man! What's up, bro?"

"Hey, Casey. Just coming to get her and bring her home. Mikey's got dinner just about ready and he made your favorite. So, just suck it up and be nice, will ya?" Under his chin, he could hear Shiho grumbling and cursing. She hated being civil with Magdalena. She was more than able to forgive Micah after he'd sacrificed himself so she'd live. But, living with the blonde was more than Shiho's temper could handle. It was absolutely suffocating.

"No, you guys aren't going anywhere. I just got off the phone with Linda and she said she'll drive down to her office now. So, in the van you two," April said as she appeared out of the kitchen to put the phone back on its charger. "Hi, Leo."

"Hi, Ape. Uhh, who's Linda? Where are we going?"

"She's my cousin and an OB/GYN," April could tell she'd lost Leo by the puzzled look on his face and giggled. "In a nutshell, she's a doctor for pregnant women. She's met Donnie before but not the rest of you."

"Ohhh. Will we be able to see the babies?" He asked, rubbing Shiho's sore back as she cuddled. April said nothing and just nodded. A grin that took up the width of Leo's face came to him and he placed a hand on the baby bump. "Let's go then!"

* * *

"Mikey! I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times! Aanika is NOT allowed to drink soda!" Donnie screamed. He knew he was going to catch hell from Shiho and Leo for this one.

In the lair, the 5 year old was bouncing off the walls and running around making her uncles and sisters absolutely insane. From his focus on his video game, the orange masked turtles placed the tips of his fingers in his mouth and whistled. In an instant, the half pint fox was at his side and crawling into his lap to tell him what to do in the game. He'd given her a good portion of his secret stash of sweets as well as a few cans of Pepsi. Shiho was going to rip him a new one if she found out.

"Relax, Donnie. She's a kid. Kids love soda! Woah!" His entire body dodged to the left as his character on screen avoided being attacked. Excitedly, Aanika giggled and bounced in his lap. From her spot lounging on the couch like Cleopatra, Magdalena chuckled and eyeballed her little sister with a piercing blue gaze. Saundra was passing by with a bottle of water for Raphael in the training room and noticed the mini fox cower in fear from Maggie's heavy gaze.

"What is wrong with you? Can't you see you're scaring her? Stop it," Shiho hissed and slapped her cloned sister upside her blonde head with her palm.

"Ow, bitch!"

"Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!" Chanted the little fox. Mikey hurriedly pushed pause and picked her up under the arms with a terrified expression. Oh hell, if Shiho heard Aanika talking like that, everyone would feel her wrath. He could still feel the slap she gave him yesterday when Raph taught her to say 'asshole.'

"NO! Mini dudette! That's a bad word, baaaad word!"

"Bitch?" She asked, her head tilting to the side. Damn she was cute, big cerulean eyes glittering with innocence.

"YES! Shhh! Don't say it, Mama is going to kill Uncle Mikey."

"Smooth move, Maggie. You taught our sister a new word. You are _so_ going to get it when Shiho gets home. Raphael still has the handprint on his face from yesterday." Saundra chuckled and swayed her way into the training room where she was greeted by her hard working mate.

"Oh who cares? She's going to hear it eventually. Besides, who makes Shiho the boss?"

Both Raphael and Saundra snorted. "Splinter did, duh." Raph said, which only made the blonde roll her eyes and flip through another glossy page of the fashion magazine she was reading.

"Whatever…" She muttered.

Mikey set the little one down and she picked up his controller to finish the game. The turtle sit down beside the blonde and pinched her on the thigh. She yelped and slapped him on the arm in response.

"Dudette, we have rules, y'know? Leo and Shiho are the leaders. You might as well just get used to."

"And?" Mikey sighed and palmed his face. Maggie flipped onto her back and he settled her feet over his legs to massage them. They weren't mates, not even close. But that didn't stop Mikey from trying to woo her and flirt.

"You just gotta listen, Maggie. Saundra learned her lesson the hard way when she didn't listen and nearly lost her scales. They're good leaders, really. Aside from the last hiccup, they keep us pretty safe," Maggie arched a brow. She really hated being told what to do now, especially after she was so horribly betrayed by Marcus. Her tall ears flattened back against her head as she stared hard at Mikey.

"Was Shiho really a stripper?" She said, trying to change the subject. Mikey choked and nearly squeezed her little foot too hard. Seeing the bothered look on his face brought with it the answer to her question and she bust out laughing" REALLY?!"

"It was a uh…really bad time for her. But, for the record, since you're her clone I know what your boobs look like," Mikey waggled his eye ridge suggestively like a lush. Giggling like the little flirt she was, Maggie winked and blew a playful kiss. For an evil clone who was hell bent on ripping Shiho apart, the blonde was a pretty adorable babe in Mikey's mind.

"Just, do us all a favor and try to not push Shiho's buttons will ya? She's a cool chick until you piss her off."

"PISS! Piss! Piss!" Aanika squealed, not taking her eyes off the screen as she chanted the slur over and over again. Mikey groaned and nearly cried. Shiho was going to have his shell. Her fury was scary enough when she wasn't pregnant.

"Little one! That is enough of that language!" Splinter bellowed after emerging from meditation. Instantly, Aanika became quiet and her ears dropped to the sides of her head as he came closer, she knew she was caught.

"I'm sorry, JiiJii…" She muttered shamefully, Splinter stood beside her with his paws clasping the top of his staff. The old rat stared down at the young fox with a very displeased expression that had her tail tucking itself between her legs. Only three members of her family could make her act sheepish; Leo, Shiho, and Splinter.

"It is alright. But I do not want to hear those words out of your mouth again. Understand?" Slowly and with a pout, the little fox nodded. "Good. I will have a talk with your uncles and sisters about their use of language."

"Are you gonna tell Mama?" She asked pitifully, nuzzling against him and clutching his robe. Splinter sighed heavily, he couldn't resist those eyes. No one could.

"No. I will not tell your mother, but do not let me catch you using those words again. You are a lady and should speak like one."

"Okay, Jiijii. I promise." Affectionately, the wise rate slipped his paw through the silky strands of her light brunette locks, it'd grown so much since she first arrived in the lair. Little ears flicked back and forth as he passed over them with his palm, much like Shiho, Aanika loved being petted.

"Guys, I just got off the phone with April. Shiho's going to have an ultrasound done by April's cousin. Who wants to go?" Donnie asked as he came down the stairs, keys in his hand. Fiona and Saundra were the first ones at his side with elated giggles. Splinter chuckled and nodded.

"Dude! Me! I wanna go!" Mikey said, eagerly waving his hands in the air as he jumped to his feet.

Raph chuckled after closing up the training room, wiping his face with a towel. "Me too."

Splinter leaned down to pick up Aanika and settled her against his side. "We want to go as well."

Everyone's attention then turned to the lounging blonde fox that was cleaning under her nails. Of course, she acted like she was absolute royalty after being so used to being spoiled by Marcus her entire life. When she felt all the eyes on her, she looked up and feigned to not have heard Donnie.

"I'm sorry what?"

Exasperated, Donnie sighed. "We're all going uptown to watch Shiho's ultrasound. You can stay if you want but we're all going."

"Why is everyone so uppity about Shiho being pregnant, anyway? Women get pregnant everyday, it isn't _that _big of a deal. But I suppose I can go."

Disgruntled, Splinter grumbled and moved past the stuck up blonde to join his sons. He said that she was allowed to stay but it was only to make Michelangelo happy, that didn't mean he had to like her. Or her attitude.

"Uhh…the big deal, Missy, is that we didn't even know she could get pregnant in the first place. I don't know if you know this, but Leo isn't exactly human. So it's kinda big for us. Sheesh, you're such a brat," Raph snorted as she stood and linked her arms around Mikey's bicep. They all rolled their eyes when he blushed like a fool. Saundra was the first one to actually growl and turn on her heel to be out the door. No one understood Shiho's frustration more than her sisters when it came to Magdalena, they might have accepted her but they still hated her. While they were sleeping in cold, blank rooms Maggie had her own bedroom in Marcus' home and was spoiled rotten.

Granted, he never liked her either but that didn't seem to matter to them. Maggie still had it made her entire life while the rest of them suffered.

"Dudes, let's just go! We get to see the little dudes!"

* * *

The quartet of friends had made their way uptown to Linda's private practice suite. Shiho was a ball of nerves and Leo was, without a doubt, worse. This entire experience was completely new and foreign territory to the turtle. The trip up in the elevator was tense and silent, Shiho holding Leo's hand the entire way. He felt guilty, he was supposed to be the strong one of the two. The rock for Shiho to lean on. But, Shiho didn't seem to mind which mde him feel that much worse.

At the elevators, they were instantly greeted by a woman in a doctor's lab coat.

"Wow. Judging by the baby bump you must be Shiho. Hi, I'm Linda O'Neil," April's cousin was delicate looking woman, thin and tall but so very pretty with the signature O'Neil red hair. She wore square framed glasses on the bridge of her nose in front of devastatingly green eyes; Shiho thought she was just lovely. Already, Shiho felt an enormous wave of comfort with this human and gratefully shook the hand that she had politely extended.

"Hi Linda. This is Leonardo, you met his brother Donatello, I think."

"I did. Such an extremely smart young man he is. And Leonardo, April tells me that you're the father?" Leo was always nervous when it came to meeting new humans. It was just a habit that had been pegged and deeply routed since he first met April. Gulping, he nodded with a shaky smile. Bright red lips pulled over perfect teeth in a smile as Linda placed an affectionate hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm no stranger to the odd workings of nature. But I must say, Shiho, you are something marvelous, a red fox hybrid. Oh how wonderful!" She said, leading both the mates and April and Casey back into an exam room in her private practice. Shiho's tall ears flattened in embarrassment at the gushing. "Your creator, who was he again? I believe we met at a conference once about twenty years ago."

"Oh…Marcus. Marcus Silver."

"Ah yes, of Silver Inc. Such a shame he went off the deep end. Now, I'll just need you to lay down up here after you undress and put this gown on. I'll be right back. April, Casey? Come with me so they can have privacy," Her voice disappeared behind the slow moving door as it closed. Leo and Shiho sat in stunned silence for a moment, a cotton hospital gown with blue dots clutched in her hands. She didn't even notice Linda put it in her hands.

"She talks a lot doesn't she?" Leo said, staring at the door. Shiho had a crooked brow, staring at the same door strangely.

"Uh-huh…anyway, hold me up while I take my pants off will ya? If I fall, I won't be able to get back up...like a turtle!" Leo chuckled and grasped onto her arm as she undressed. He never got tired of seeing her exposed tummy when she took her clothes off. The soft, flawless skin didn't have a single stretch mark thanks to that wild yam rub Donnie gave her.

Stripping down to her cupcake bra and panties, Shiho shivered in the chilly air of the office. She slipped the cool gown over her head but he stopped the fabric before it covered her bump. Leo always took every chance he could to kneel down and press two kisses against her, no one would ever understand how truly blessed the ninja felt just seeing that his babies were actually there and growing every day. Though his hands were rough from years of handling his katanas and training, his touches were soft and gentle against her delicate skin when they caressed across her belly.

"You alright, Leo?" Shiho asked after a few moments of silence, her fingers grazing against the back of his head. Leo seemed completely lost within himself.

"Yeah. I'm fine, just saying 'hi' to them," He rose back up and kissed Shiho on the nose before lifting her up onto the exam bed where she laid against the backrest. A gentle knock on the door stirred the parents from their haze as it opened and Linda came back inside with an exhausted look on her face.

Shiho giggled. "Wait, don't tell me...I know that look. His brothers are here?"

Linda slipped her hands into a pair of latex gloves with a snap. "How can you tell?"

"Shiho has the same look on her face every day." Leo chuckled and moved out of the way to the other side of Shiho as his brothers and her sisters all piled inside the room, gathering around the physician. Splinter entered last, tapping his way inside with April and Casey in tow. Aanika was on Raphael's shoulders, her small hands resting on his head as she wiggled excitedly. Shiho flashed an agitation glance in Saundra's direction when she realized Maggie was there. Silently, the gecko mouthed an apologetic "Sorry" with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Boy…you've got quite the family, Shiho."

"Heh, you can say that again." Leo brushed violet bangs away from her face to help her relax as Linda covered her legs and pelvis with a sheet, pulling the gown over her belly.

"Okay, Donnie, turn the machine on for me please and hand me the transducer probe," Donnie was more than eager to oblige as he flipped a few switches to turn on the machine and the monitor, handing probe to Linda. "Okay Shiho, this gel is going to be cold. Just hold still, I didn't have time to warm it up."

"EEK! You weren't kidding!" Shiho shrieked when the clear, thick gel was applied to her skin. Instantly, goose bumps covered her stomach.

"Why you gotta put that goo on her, Doc?" Raph asked, holding onto Aanika's wriggling legs to keep her from falling.

"It helps the sound waves carry a lot easier inside Shiho's body. This wand—" Linda held up the transducer and pressed it firmly but gently against the gel into Shiho's belly. "Sends sound waves that bounce off whatever is inside. See? Already we have…baby number one."

All eyes were on the grey and white image as Linda moved the wand. Leo couldn't believe it; he was seeing one of his babies as it was still growing. Splinter felt a warmth rush through him seeing the in-time image of his grandchild, he couldn't help but become misty eyed.

Anxiously, Aanika wiggled on Raphael's broad shoulders. "Uncle Raphh, what's that?!"

"Babies, kiddo. They're inside your Mama's tummy and growin'. Now hush, before I give ya a big ol' noogie." Shiho glanced at her red masked brother and winked with a giggle. He knew how to handle Aanika in her hyper spells.

"Alright, this one might be taking after Shiho. See the spine?" Her long finger traced the outline of the baby's spine. "It continues on and narrows out to what looks to be the bones inside of a tail. Now, little one, let's see what you are."

Leo looked down at Shiho who was practically crying rivers. This experience was what she wanted all along, seeing her offspring while surrounded by her family with Leo's hand squeezing hers. Not like that terrifying first ultrasound in Marcus' lab where there was no love, no smiles, no happiness. He's seen her wear dozens of different smiles before, but this smile she had was unlike all the rest. Soft and serene in blissful peace. The grin grew even wider as Linda moved the transducer down her belly.

"Ah-hah! We got a girl. And right now, she's sitting with her feet down. See her toes?" Simultaneously, the entire family ooh'd and aww'd, all except for Maggie who sat in the corner with her arms and legs crossed. She really knew how to be a wet blanket. "She looks like she's developing right on track. Alright, let's get on over to baby two."

"Linda, do you have any idea about when she could go into labor?" Donnie asked, adjusting the pulse controls to make the image clear. Linda kept her eyes on the screen as she looked at the size of Shiho's bump and analyzed the infants inside.

"It's hard to tell with the real mix we have going on here. But, they're a pretty good size already; I'm going to say she should start feeling contractions in the next four to five weeks maybe. But, then again, Shiho is my first hybrid patient, I'm guessing here." Violet eyes darted upwards to find the orbs of amber for answers. Leo didn't have any and tried to soothe her worries with a kiss to her forehead.

"Hopefully, it'll happen soon because I think baby two is taking after Dad here. See, there's a definite outline of a carapace. Now, I can't say for sure but the consistency of the shell should be soft enough to not cause any damage during birth," Leo's eyes boggled, Shiho had a split down the middle pregnancy. "I see five toes and fingers on this one but I can't quite see the gender. Little bean has their legs crossed."

Leo wasn't too disappointed that he couldn't find out the sex of his second child, he still had the overwhelming excitement that he was able to at least see them. His beak nuzzled against Shiho's ear as he squeezed her delicate hand to keep from falling apart. Warmly and quietly, he whispered into the soft fur."Thank you…"

Even Raphael found himself having a hard time keeping his own tears at bay. Obviously, the sisters were a blubbering mess with Mikey. Figures. They all passed around a box of tissues and blew their noses.

"Casey, are you cryin', man?!" Raph cackled.

"NO! I just have a sty or something, shut up!"

"Boys, please. Let Miss Linda continue with her examination." Splinter intervened with a tap of his staff into the floor. Mikey sniggered as he wiped his face.

"Mmk, I'm going to take a listen to the heartbeats and do a few measurements. Donnie? Can you man the keyboard?" The purple masked turtle saluted proudly and squeezed through his brothers to the keyboard to turn on the heart monitor. Instantly, the room was alive with muffled thumping sounds that nearly brought Leo to his knees. Even Magdalena found herself amazed, hearing the heartbeats made it real.

"Wow! We have some powerful little tickers in there. Good job, Mom."

* * *

The ride through the streets after the appointment was a loud one, April and Casey had driven home in their van while the rest of the hybrids and turtles climbed into the armored truck. The girls, excluding Maggie, were gathered around Shiho as she held up her ultrasound photos. Leo and his brothers were all huddled into the front with Splinter as they exchanged good wishes. Shiho and Leo kept meeting glances over their families and exchanging little smiles and winks.

They'd had their adventures and wild rides but none of them were quite like the one they were about to take. The turtles had travelled to different dimensions and went through time and space but had never been more excited about anything until now. Their kind wasn't going to disappear with them, they were going to have some remnants left behind when they were gone and the idea alone was enough to satisfy them all.

"What're you gonna name 'em, Shiho?" Saundra said, looking at the photos as they were being passed around.

"Yeah! You have to think of a name!" Fiona piped. Shiho chuckled and bounced Aanika in her lap to keep her from squirming. She hadn't thought much about the names, her and Leo hadn't discussed it yet. Not knowing the gender of one of the babies hindered part of the decision making.

"Not sure yet. Might just have to wait until they're born, girls. Oh Aanika, is that a yawn I just saw? I think you're going to bed once we get home," The young fox pouted and dramatically went limp in her mother's arms. She knew exactly where she picked that up from and reached back to smack Michelangelo behind the head.

"OW! What'd I do!?"

A walk through the tunnels and getting everyone settled down had left both Leo and Shiho exhausted, ready to just crawl into bed and sleep for two days. After singing Aanika's favorite lullaby and tucking her in, the mates at last retired into their room and shut the door. Immediately, Shiho slipped into her cool, silk nightie and crawled into bed. Leo finished taking off his gear and took a moment to just look at her in the glow of their candle light on the nightstand. It was true what the humans said about pregnant women, they absolutely glowed with beautiful radiance.

"Heh, what Leo?" She said, rolling onto her side with a pillow under her belly and another between her legs. Leo shook his head and clambered in beside her, his large hand petting the side of her face and said nothing. The pad of his thumb grazed over her glossy lip before leaning his head down to kiss her.

"Nothing. I love you, Fuzzball." Shiho smiled something sweet and slipped her hand to the back of his neck and kissed him again. When their lips met, Shiho's mind raced all the way back to the beginning to the first night she woke up in this bed, completely terrified. Leo was the first and last thing she saw that night, she never thought back then that she'd be where she was now. Mated, pregnant, surrounded by family, and happy. Those were four things Shiho never thought she'd see in her lifetime. But here she was, in bed with her savior and participating in a heart melting kiss.

"I love you, too Domehead." Leo rolled his eyes with a grin as he shuffled down to kiss her tummy twice.

"And I love you guys, too. My little legacies."

What a sap.

* * *

**A/N: I think I'm going to dip back into the Italian Rennaissance with the names here. Not too sure yet but I have a few lined up in my head? So? How am I doing? YOU GUYS NEED TO REVIEW FOR ME! I can't go on without reviews D: Look at me, dying here. Hahaha, anyway. We're almost done duckies!**


	27. Ready Or Not

**A/N: AYEEEE! I feel like shit for not updating this in a timely manner like I always do. But, I'm actually in California now at my mother's house to have my spine repaired. Finally got my referral approved for an appointment with a specialist! :D But anyway, thanks for your reviews everyone. I do love reading them and knowing that you enjoy whatever this is that I'm doing :3 I am a bit conflicted about this chapter and feel kinda...disappointed with myself in how it turned out but I guess I'll leave that up to the readers. So, here's the next chapter, enjoy! Be nice please. Read and Review!**

**************NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

"_Nothing. I love you, Fuzzball." Shiho smiled something sweet and slipped her hand to the back of his neck and kissed him again. When their lips met, Shiho's mind raced all the way back to the beginning to the first night she woke up in this bed, completely terrified. Leo was the first and last thing she saw that night, she never thought back then that she'd be where she was now. Mated, pregnant, surrounded by family, and happy. Those were four things Shiho never thought she'd see in her lifetime. But here she was, in bed with her savior and participating in a heart melting kiss._

"_I love you, too Domehead." Leo rolled his eyes with a grin as he shuffled down to kiss her tummy twice._

"_And I love you guys, too. My little legacies."_

_What a sap._

* * *

The next two weeks in the lair were calm and tranquil as Shiho's pregnancy steadily progressed and Leonardo kept the peace between her and Magdalena. The blonde vixen was working deeper and deeper under her leader's skin with every day that passed. It was with great strength and dignity that Shiho kept her claws to herself every time Maggie made a snide remark at her expense or complained about a set-in-stone rule. Through her daily meditation at Splinter's side and her Lamaze sessions with Linda and Donnie was Shiho able to keep her wits about her as well as her focus to stay healthy and composed.

Donatello was absorbing everything he observed and learned from Linda like a sponge. His desire to help his sister with her inevitable birth was driving him to cram as much knowledge about gestation, birth, and early development after birth. Plus, he still had every intention of starting a family of his own. The more prepared he was the better chance he had of making his mark on the world. His workshop was riddled with books and diagrams, his dedication caused Fiona to squirm with happiness.

Into the third week after meeting Linda, Shiho was growing more and more uncomfortable. The more the twins grew in size, the more space was taken up inside her therefore left little room to breathe. She was more feisty and irritated than ever but she kept to herself these days when Leo wasn't home. This was all going by so fast, they hadn't had the chance to really grasp that it was really happening. Leo imagined that it would finally sink in when he at last had his twins in his arms.

But even so, daily life continued and today was no different. Leo had his family gathered in the dojo while Shiho had managed to sneak out of bed and watch. She missed training and exerting herself but Splinter ordered for her rest and put his foot down on the matter. Shiho hated being confined to her bed while the rest of them were allowed to work up a sweat and train their bodies. There she was laying around making body parts and her sisters had rock hard, slim tummies.

"God dammit…" Hissed the vixen, her delicate hands gripping the railing upstairs as she leaned forward and rocked on her heels. Leo was busy training with his brothers and sisters when he heard his mate grumbling from above. With a look of disdain he gave the reigns to Raphael to take over and jogged up the stairs.

"Hey, you alright, Babe? What are you doing out of bed?" He voiced in concern while placing his rand hand over hers and rubbing the small of her back with his left. The pressure was becoming unbearable when she tried walking.

"I will be. I'm just tired of laying down I had to get up and walk around. Can hear you guys all the way in the bedroom and I just wanted to watch. Then the nuggets started moving."

"Want me to call Linda?" Shiho gripped the rail a little tighter until her knuckles turned white, her adorable canines digging into her dark lip. Leo gathered her into his arms where she clutched at the top of his plastron, he wasn't going to wait for an answer.

"Donnie!" He called down, the genius stopping his practice kicks and glanced up at his brother. Seeing Shiho with her eyes squeezed shut and a look of agony on her face was all it took for Donnie to drop his bo and dash up the stairs.

"There's no way. Shiho, contractions?" He brushed the hair out of her face as it relaxed and she breathed a heavy sigh. Donnie didn't like how tightly she was gripping Leo's plastron.

"N-no. Just…just cramps."

"Call Linda anyway, Don. Get her down here," Leo instructed as he lifted Shiho up and took her right back to bed as she groaned in disdain. Half-heartedly she reached for the railing with a whimper.

"Leo! No! I've been in bed all day!" Damn, he moved fast. She hadn't blinked twice and he already had her back in their bedroom. _It's a ninja thing..._

"Shut-up, you look like you're digesting glass," He said, setting her down and covering her up with the blankets. The look she gave him seethed irritation as she folded her arms. "Don't look at me like that."

"Then let me up." Shiho protested. Why did he have to treat her like she was a child? She was only having a few cramps...

"No. Something is obviously hurting you and I'm not letting you up until we find out what it is."

Back and forth they bantered while Donnie called up Linda. He described Shiho's current behavior as best as he could for her and she was on her way. Much to her personal dismay, Shiho's discomfort refused to go away and rose a level of concern amongst her brothers and sisters. Leo ordered them for meditation to keep their energies calm while they assessed the situation and waited for Linda. He'd never seen Shiho's tail curl into such a tight little ball the way it would when another wave hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Atta girl…Linda should be here soon. Just remember your breathing," Leo whispered into the soft tufts of fur of her ear. Shiho sat upright between his legs against his plastron and her hands gripping into his own rather tightly. The ninja knew that his distressed vixen had been through more pain in her life than anyone ever had to experience but it was nothing compared to the pains of labor. Though she didn't scream or curse, Leo knew she was horrifically uncomfortable.

"I'm here! Where is she?" Shiho's tall ears flicked open to full bloom at the lovely sound of Linda's voice. Immediately she felt relief wash over her. She'd been stuck between Leo's legs for going on thirty minutes. The soft tapping of Linda's high heels came closer to their bedroom until she appeared in the doorway with a large bag in her hand. "There's my lovely lady. How're we fairing, honey?"

"Uh w-well…nng…It feels like contractions but I'm not entirely sure. I'm early aren't I?" She said, giving Leo's hand another squeeze.

"Well, open up and I'll take a look at what's going on. You take your undies off?"

"Yeah, a few minutes ago." Linda folded the sheets up over Shiho's bent knees and pushed them apart gently. Donnie stood close by in curious observation, causing Leo's eye ridge to twitch ever so slightly in agitation. He knew it was for Shiho's benefit and for the sake of learning, but his brother looking between his mate's legs still didn't settle too nicely in his stomach. But his jealousy was petty.

"Alright, a little pressure…" Linda muttered, snapping latex gloves onto her hand so she could examine the fox. Slow and calculated breaths exhaled through Shiho's nose for a few moments before Linda finally withdrew her hand. Leo was more than relieved to see no blood on the latex.

"Well, you're not dilating enough for concern, about one centimeter. Looks like we've been victims of Braxton Hicks. But, that also is a sign that we're probably getting close to baby time, now that you're starting to dilate. Maybe not tonight or tomorrow but sometime soon. I seriously need you to rest and stay off your feet, kid."

Leo looked down and grinned at Shiho. Instantly, she shot him a glare.

"Shut-up, and don't you dare say 'I told you so'. I'll smack the green off you."

"You love me. What's Braxton Hicks, Doc? Is it a condition or what?" Leo asked. Linda shook her head with a shrug of her little shoulders while pulling the sheets back over Shiho's legs.

"Nuh-uh. It's false labor. It's the body playing tricks on Mom, making her think she's having contractions when nothing is actually happening. The 'contractions' are often sporadic with irregular intensity," Leo nodded as she went along. Donnie sat with his notepad, typical Donnie. "She could feel like she's having a small contraction and ten minutes will pass before another small one comes. Then say minutes later she has a huge one. See?"

Leo hummed. "Oh, so, you can spot the difference between false and real labor by there being a pattern or not?"

"Right. They eventually disappear and go away all together, where as with real labor, the contractions intensify and become more frequent. But that doesn't mean we're off the hook like I said, because she's already started to dilate. We need to keep an eye on her for the rest of her pregnancy now. Though I didn't feel any significant dilation, I did feel the pressure of one of the babies' head coming down."

There was the tell-tale tapping of Splinter's cane entered the bedroom as their wise mentor approached the bedside. A glisten of question resided in his kind eyes as he looked to Leonardo for any answers. His son only shook his head.

Leo sighed heavily. "Nothing yet, Sensei. But Shiho's okay, right Doc?" All eyes cast upon the red head as she tugged her small hands out of her gloves and tossed them in the nearby trash bin.

"Right. But like I said, one of them is head down, can't tell which one, though. But that's a sign that we're getting very close, when they move down into her pelvis like that. So, on your toes Leo," Shiho puffed out her cheeks in an exasperated sigh, she was just ready to get this over with. She loved being pregnant but the discomfort and inability to take a full breath or even see her toes was becoming an irritating hindrance. Especially when you had four over protective turtles following you around like someone with glass bones on the verge of shattering.

"I know it sucks, honey. They just need to bake a little longer, they're still a little doughy. We want them a golden brown," Linda joked. It was enough to make Shiho chuckle her disappointment off and melt into Leo's arms as he wrapped them around her, kissing her head tenderly.

"Alright, kiddies. I'm going to head back home. You've got my number, call me if you've got any questions. I'll see you in a few days for your appointment."

"Thanks, Linda," Chorused Leo and Shiho as Donnie walked her out, busily asking a million questions. Splinter laughed gently before taking Shiho's hand and kissing the tops of her knuckles in an act of comfort.

"Try not to fret, daughter. The time will soon be here and your children will at last enter this world. I know you are most uncomfortable, but it is for the greater good, my child."

"I know, Pop. I just miss seeing my feet," Shiho said with a giggle. A smile formed along his muzzle.

"Soon, Shiho, soon. For now, you must continue to rest. I do not wish for you to exhaust yourself with things that your sisters or brothers could easily do for you."

From the doorway they heard the classic scoff from Maggie as she chuckled with a roll of her hypnotic blue eyes. It took a firm hand on her shoulder from her mate to keep Shiho from lunging at the clone with her claws out, instead she settled with a dangerous rumble of a growl. Another chuckle and Splinter bowed his head to his son before slipping away and tugging the blonde along with him. Leo's mouth twisted into a frown at the sound of her growl.

"Hey, can you at least try to keep a lid on it? You can't be stressing about Maggie when you're this close, Babe," Leo said, his lips brushing against her forehead. Tall ears flicked in agitation before they flattened in defeat.

"Yeah, yeah. I know, help me up will ya? I've gotta pee something terrible."

* * *

The hour was late but the city was still alive and bustling with activity, much like the thoughts racing about in Leonardo's mind. He tossed and he turned in bed but sleep just wasn't coming to him no matter how relaxed he tried to be. Shiho was sound asleep on her side, at least she was for now before the twins became active. Leo didn't have the heart to wake her up for any comfort, she needed whatever sleep she was able to get and he wasn't going to disrupt her rest. So up and out of bed he crawled and gave his sleeping mate a parting kiss on the forehead before going topside to their rooftop.

It had been nine hours since Linda left. That was nine hours available for Leo to become victim to his damn thoughts. Again.

"Knew I'd find ya up here."

"Huh?" Leo's concentration on the skyline was disturbed all of a sudden by a gruff voice. Glancing backwards, his shoulders relaxed when his eyes landed on Raphael talking heavy steps towards him. "Oh. Hey Raph."

The red masked turtle sat on the ledge beside his brother with a leg pulled up at the knee and the other dangling off the side. A heavy sigh pressed through Raph's nostrils as Leo rubbed the back of his neck to try and soothe the stiffness; all of the tension in the lair was steadily wearing him down and now he was starting to feel the pressure. Raph smiled lazily and smacked a hand on his brother's shoulder, giving him a little shake.

"What's goin' on? You never come out like this on your own, not recently anyway."

Leo shrugged and with a slight shake of his head he glanced sideways at his brother, holding his breath. Raph knew better than to push this out of him, whatever it was that was keeping him awake was bound to make him snappy if pressed. So he waited.

At last, Leo sighed. "Scared, man."

Raph scoffed and slapped his knee.

"Woah, our fearless leader Leonardo is scared. Who knew?!"

"I'm serious, Raph. After what happened tonight it really hit me that this is going to happen. Whether I'm ready or not," Leo braced his palms into the ledge and leaned forward to look down at the traffic. His amber eyes busily looked for anything to keep him busy but just found bumper to bumper traffic. Not even a single purse snatcher or drug deal. At least that he could see.

"I thought this is what you wanted, bro. Or at least hoped for, right?"

"Of course this is what I want. I love my mate and I love my kids even though they haven't been born yet. Never would have imagined that I'd be so blessed to have a family of my own. Shit I never even thought I'd be lucky enough to find a mate like Shiho, or just a mate in general. Just…" Leo fell silent and swallowed thickly to keep his control. He was struggling with his strength to keep it together. "What if I'm not good enough for them, you know?"

"Leo, listen—" Raph said with a sigh, his grip on his brother's shoulder tightening as he moved back to stand. He knew this was going to happen sometime or another. "You'll be fine. You're gonna make mistakes, Shiho will too. You're new at this, I'd be surprised if you didn't mess up once or twice."

Leo pushed himself up to stand beside Raph, an eye ridge raised and his arms folded in displeasure. "You're not exactly making me feel any better, Raph."

"What I'm trying to say is don't try too hard, man. You've got this and you're gonna be a great dad. Just look at how well you're doin' with Aanika," Raph's lazy smile returned to his face when Leo chuckled and shrugged his masculine shoulders. Nervously, he switched his weight from foot to foot.

"You'll do fine. Those babies are gonna love ya. And when it gets tough, we're all gonna be here to help you two out. I know it's scary, man. But everything new is always a little scary to start with, right?"

Leonardo was the natural born leader, he had all the answers and solutions. The admittance of fear was foreign to a creature like himself and he'd never show it let alone be able to admit it. But when it came to something this unexplored he felt truly defeated. What if he did mess up? Lose one of the babies, drop them, forget to feed them, find them in some sort of peril he wouldn't be able to get them out of? So many questions ran rampant in his mind that left him mentally exhausted.

"I guess. I can only imagine how terrified Shiho is. Can't tell though, she won't talk to me anymore."

"Yeah she has gotten a little more on the moody side, hasn't she?" Leo rolled his eyes in bewilderment. It was fascinating how easily Shiho was set off these days.

"You can say that again. It seems like every day I'm breaking up a fight between her and Maggie. She's even snapped at me once or twice. But, I mean, can't blame her. She's just so uncomfortable, I can't really understand how difficult it is for her being pregnant. Let alone being pregnant with twins for the first time," Leo stretched his arms above his head and cracked his knuckles for some relief before dropping them back to his sides. "I feel bad, man. Because I'm the one who got her pregnant."

"Hey shit happens, Leo. There was no way of knowing it was gonna happen, we thought it was impossible. It's not like she blames you. And besides, it takes two to tango, bro. She didn't get pregnant on her own."

"I know…"

"And obviously, you two haven't been to do the horizontal bop, eh. That, my friend, is something I can't give up."

Leo's eyes boggled as he dropped his arms to gawk at his brother.

"Jeez, Raph. She's pregnant for Christ's sake," Raphael could tell from the blush on his brother's face that he'd hit a nerve, a raw nerve. "And for the record; no. Since she started showing she hasn't been in any mood despite Linda telling her that it's okay."

"Really?" Raphael blinked in confusion. Leo rubbed the ridge of his beak before nodding.

"Last week she told us that it might help her go into labor if she had sex with me. She used to be all over me, I couldn't keep her hands off me for more than a few hours at a time. God we'd go at it four or five times a day. But then her belly started getting bigger and she just lost all the drive."

Both of them chuckled. They both knew Shiho had the sex drive of a rabbit before she found out she was pregnant. But only Leonardo knew that she was a borderline nymphomaniac before she started getting bigger. Her hormones were off the scale and almost too much for him to handle at one point. But he never once complained because the fox rocked his world in more ways that he could possibly imagine until he saw stars and his skin buzzed.

"So, I just leave her alone most of the time when I get angsty. I honestly don't know how I got on without having a mate before, because I'm in agony, man. I haven't had sex in weeks," Leo groaned. A soft snort went through Raphael's nostrils as he smiled and shook his head for poor Leo.

"Haha, so you've got a case of the Blue Balls. I knew there was more to you being on edge than just bein' scared. Gotta tell ya, you're one strong turtle to be sittin' on the bench while the rest of us hit home base all the time. Well, at least Donnie and me. Mikey hasn't even gone up to bat yet. poor kid."

The irritated grumble in Leo's chest told Raphael he was rubbing him the wrong way, but he needed to loosen up. Nudging his brother in the side with his elbow, Raph laughed and snorted.

"Come on, Leo can't you just ask her for a quick service?"

"Jesus!" Leo sputtered in disbelief at the gall his brother possessed.

"What? Saundra does it all the time, she loves it!" The leader grimaced at the idea of his brother receiving oral sex from the gecko, just the idea alone actually. Goosebumps decorated his emerald flesh in disgust and discomfort. "Ask her, bro."

"She already does it, Raph. Or did, I mean. But the last few weeks she just hasn't been feeling well enough to even eat. You think I'm going to make her go down on me when she can't even get up?" The blush on Leo's cheeks was almost too much for Raphael to handle. Leo was embarrassed and hot and bothered. And, from what Raphael could see, he was frustrated.

"Ahh, I get it. You're all riled up with nowhere to go. Poor guy can't get his dick sucked. It's a sad day, my brother." Leo palmed his face. He wanted to just hide under a rock for all eternity if this kept going.

"Just shut up already." The bickering on the rooftop was easing the tension in Leo's muscles and pulling the stress out of his busy mind. As annoying as this conversation was, Leo had to admit that he felt better. Raphael noticed the visible ease in his brother and kept on teasing.

"You don't make her go down and then not return the favor do ya? That's just rude."

"Of course not, stupid," There was an unmistakable glaze in Leo's amber pools that Raphael couldn't miss. He knew that talking about Shiho in such a provocative situation was remarkably relaxing for the blue-clad turtle. A smirk twitched at the corner of Leo's mouth as his eyes closed a little, his teeth sinking into his lip in thought. "I love going down on that woman. Mmm…Just the look on her face is enough to get anyone off, and the way she tastes is just…mmf..."

"Woah, okay Leo, that's enough of that! I get enough of that when you make her scream-"

"Yeah I do." Leo chuckled, remembering the sounds of his mate echoing off the brick walls of their room when he made her climax so hard that her legs shook and her breath caught in her throat. Raph would never deny the raging attraction he had for Shiho after they made up that night at the cabin. He often thought of what it'd be like to have her in the ways only Leo could. But once Saundra came along, that all changed.

"Come on, Leo. Let's go for a run before we head back. Need to burn off all that steam you've got built up."

"Hm, there's only one way to blow of this particular steam, Raphael. And it's going to take forever before she lets me."

* * *

Shiho felt that irritating pressure in her belly once again as it forced her out of her slumber to sit up against her pillows in bed. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with a small yawn, she glanced to her side to see Leo's spot empty. Already she felt bad for not being awake when he wasn't able to settle down, but this discomfort was occupying her concentration and exhausting her. With a gentle hand, the fox cradled her swollen belly and let out a slow exhale and the pain seemed to wash away little by little.

"Shit…where is he?" She grumbled after noticing what time it was from the clock on the wall. It was just after 3am. She must not have been the only one missing a mate because Saundra was leaning in the doorway looking just as tired as Shiho. Her short, chestnut hair was messy from sleep and her eyelids were heavy over her honey brown eyes.

"What's the matter Sandy?"

"Raph's gone, I figured he'd have come over here but he's not here either. You seen him?" Running a hand through her violet bangs Shiho sighed again with a shake of her head.

"Mm-mm. He must have gone somewhere with Leo. You okay? Oh…" Shiho gasped and clutched at her bedsheets with one hand, her other pressing into the side of her belly.

"Shiho what's the matter?" Saundra said, concern instantly rising in the pit of her stomach and she darted to Shiho's bedside. The fox's tall ears pressed flat against her head as her eyes squeezed shut, her hand searching for Saundra's. The gecko quickly grabbed her sister's hand just as she crushed her fingers together. "OW! Shiho!"

"Now, Saundra, now! This time it's real, call Leo…!" The gecko fumbled around on the nightstand for Shiho's cellphone and dialed Leo's Shell Cell with her free hand in a panic. Her sister clenched her sharp teeth together to hold back the scream that she so desperately wanted to release. Shiho could tell this wasn't some trick her body was playing, not this time. It hadn't felt nearly this strong before.

"Leo? Leo! Where the hell are you, man?!...Get your tail back to the lair…..this isn't time for questions …she JUST went into labor-"

"Saundra my water just broke," Shiho gasped when she felt a sudden release in her body. Saundra's hazel eyes bulged in response.

"Woah…Leo hurry up! I'll call Linda and you pick her up on the way back!" She barked and snapped the cell phone shut. "Okay…okay…let me go get Donnie, I'll be right back. Donnie will know what to do!"

Saundra's tail was the last thing Shiho saw as she sprinted out of her room and nearly tripped down the hall. The gecko cursed and made a mad dash towards Donnie's workshop where he had fallen asleep at one of his computers. Hastily, Saundra shook Donatello's chair until he woke up. She was neck deep in her anxiety and she needed someone smart to pull her out before she went under.

"Donne, Donnie, Donnie! Get up! Upstairs!"

"What the hell?! Saundra?" Donnie snapped as he fell out of his chair and sprawled on the floor. With a grunt, he managed to stand and dust off the front of his plastron as Saundra practically vibrated in her panic. He'd never seen her look so out of sorts with herself which was a cause for concern. "What's the matter?"

"Shiho. Water thing. Babies…come!"

"Wha- AHH!" Donnie hadn't the chance to process what she was saying when she grabbed him tightly by the wrist and pulled him out to tend to her sister. Donnie was borderline tripping over his feet up the stairs where he was thrown into Leo and Shiho's bedroom to find the fox digging her nails into her bed sheets and grinding her teeth in agony.

"Woah! Okay, okay. Saundra, I'm gonna need you to get me all the towels you can find and put some hot water on for later," the genius instructed. The stunned gecko nodded and ran off to do what she was told and wake up Fiona in the process. She knew not to bother Magdalena, that would only piss Shiho off. The last thing they needed was their fox leader both in labor and infuriated.

Shiho puffed out long breaths the way Linda instructed her to get through the contractions. Donnie, in the meantime, managed to switch out the sheets for disposables and get her underwear and shorts off. For now, he was all she had for support. Waiting for Leo to return was going to be agonizing for everyone, they all knew just how much Shiho needed and relied on Leo to be there. He promised.

"Good girl, Shiho. That was a big one. Alright, just lay back and relax and rest for your next contraction," Donnie cooed, smoothing back the hair from her already moistened brow. Shiho collapsed back against her stack of pillows with a long, drawn out breath.

"Oh Donnie, where is he?" She croaked, desperation heavy in her voice. Donnie's eye ridge knit together as he gulped, he didn't know where Leo could possibly be or why he'd take off knowing Shiho was opt to pop at any second.

"He's coming, Shiho. He always does."

Shiho sniffled and nearly started to cry, covering her face with her hands. This was happening whether she was prepared or not, she didn't even know if she could do it. Donnie's mouth twisted into a frown watching her, she was so distraught over Leo's absence. Doubting herself probably. But he wasn't having it and had to be the pillar of strength in place of Leo until he finally got back, Shiho needed whatever guidance she couldn't possibly get her hands on.

"Hey, you're doing just fine. I'm here, Sis," Donnie wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her arm a comforting rub. The fox melted into Donnie's embrace, looking for all the comfort she could get. At least she wasn't alone. Donnie stayed true to being the brother she always loved even if she did try to kill him in the past. For now, the contractions had pulled back and the tightness in her belly eased for a while.

"I know, Donnie. It's funny, I can take on Maggie and Micah without batting an eyelash but I'm terrified of what I'm about to do."

"Well, it doesn't come easily for everyone. Just try to relax and breathe, I'm here to make you as comfortable as I can. And," He paused, shifting to the edge of the bed and lifting the sheet over her legs. "Linda taught me how to find out how far along you are. My hands are clean, are you okay with this?"

Shiho nodded silently and sat up a little more as she let her brother reach between her legs to examine her cervix. Her toes curled in discomfort as she bit her lip to keep it together. Donnie's serious expression softened as he withdrew his hand when Saundra reappeared with and armful of towels.

"Alright, if I'm right you're just about five centimeters along right now. Five more to go. Thanks, Saundra," He said, wiping his hands on the towel offered. "Leo is picking Linda up, right?"

"Yes, I told him to pick her up. Fiona is calling her right now. How do you feel, Shiho?" Donnie returned the sheets over Shiho's legs and kissed her knees. With flattened ears, the fox managed a weak smile as she rested against her pillows. This was new territory for all of them, she wasn't sure how she felt.

"I feel peachy. Let's just get this over with."

'_Where are you, Leonardo…'_

* * *

**A/N: OH SNAP! It's a-happening! Like I said, I'm pretty conflicted about how this one turned out but we'll just have to see. Review folks! I NEED REVIEWS TO LIVE! Heheh...anyway, let's get the ball rollin shall we?**


	28. Barely Contained Insanity

**A/N: Ohhh my goodness. Folks, my duckies. I'm sorry it's taking me THIS long to update chapters. I swear I'm not doing it on purpose. I've come to a creative plateau and was stuck, didn't know how to move the story forward. So, if this chapter seems weak it probably is ._. We're moving right along though! Keep those reviews coming, the fate of Shiho and Leo depend on your reviews!**

**************NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

_"Alright, if I'm right you're just about five centimeters along right now. Five more to go. Thanks, Saundra," He said, wiping his hands on the towel offered. "Leo is picking Linda up, right?"_

_"Yes, I told him to pick her up. Fiona is calling her right now. How do you feel, Shiho?" Donnie returned the sheets over Shiho's legs and kissed her knees. With flattened ears, the fox managed a weak smile as she rested against her pillows. This was new territory for all of them, she wasn't sure how she felt._

_"I feel peachy. Let's just get this over with."_

'_Where are you, Leonardo…'_

* * *

Shock would have been the prime definition of the expression on Leo's face as he came to a screeching halt on the rooftop that he and Raphael were running across. With the Shell Cell held up to his ear the leader froze with his mouth gaping like a fish out of water before he stumbled backwards a step or two and dropped the phone. The device hit the rooftop with a loud CLACK which brought Raph nearly hanging off the edge waiting. The look of stunned fear and the absolute silence from his brother had the red-masked turtle more than worried.

Raphael jumped back onto the flat top of the roof and picked up the Cell before closing it and nudging Leo in the plastron. He didn't blink or say a word, not a sound.

"Leo? What's the matter, bro? Who called?" Leo's jaw trembled just slightly before Raphael gave him a hard shake.

"LEO!"

"Shiho's just gone into labor…"

"Wha-?"

"I gotta go get Linda, come on! We gotta move, Raph, move!" Before Raphael could interject for anything else, Leo sprinted away in the direction of Linda's apartment. He barely felt his feet touching the ground as he ran; he swore his ankles sprouted wings as Raphael struggled to keep up.

If Leo's mind wasn't cluttered with thoughts and fears before it definitely was crowded now. All that was at the front of mind through the mess was getting to his mate in time, he had to. What sort of father wasn't there for the birth of his first and possibly only children? No. That sort of mindset was going to slow him down indefinitely. Raphael could practically see the trail of anxious energy that Leo was leaving in his wake and he only guessed it was going to get worse the longer he was away from Shiho.

But run they did and reluctantly ran right past a purse snatcher in the street. It took every muscle and nerve in Raphael's body to not stop and teach the punks a lesson. But he knew damn well that if he found himself detoured Leo would tear him apart for slowing them down. So it was with mental blinders that the ninja kept on his brother's tail to get to Linda's in record time.

Noisily, the boys jumped onto Linda's fire escape outside of her bedroom window, scaring her out of her wits until she fell onto her backside. Leo jumped in through the frame as she fumbled around to stand up. She was already dressed after receiving the frantic call from Fiona just 10 minutes before. Damn those brothers moved fast, they'd gotten there quicker than she had anticipated. But then again, once a father finds out his babies are coming there isn't a force on Earth that can stop him.

"Linda! Linda! We gotta go!" Leo cried in an outright panic. Linda guessed his heart must have been racing in his chest, the look in his eyes alone told her just how nervous he really was. The normally composed and logical Leonardo was on the verge of losing his mind.

"Leo, I know! Let me just get my bag and we can go—"

"No we need to go NOW! The babies!" Raphael took the initiative and climbed inside to slap his brother across the face, stunning him silent.

"Leo, calm down. We aren't gonna get anywhere's with you actin' like a damn nutcase. Go on, Linda, and get what you need. I'll watch Spazz over here."

Linda smiled sympathetically and rushed away into her living room to lock her front door and grab as many necessities as she could and threw them into a large, leather bag. Leo clenched his hands into nervous fists over and over to keep himself from losing what little control he had.

"The hell was that for, Raphael?"

"You know exactly why. Listen, freaking out ain't goin' to get us home any faster. Either you calm down or I'll hafta knock yer lights out and carry you home. Ya got it?"

"Don't push me, Raph. Now is not the time. My mate needs me, there's no way I could expect you to understand what this is doing to me."

The brothers glared angrily at each other until Linda pushed between them with her medical bag in hand. Raphael growled and helped the redhead onto the landing outside and lifted her into his arms. Leo was next and closed her window before jumping down to the alley below. Time was of the essence now and Leo was determined to not waste a single moment.

'_Hang on, Baby…I'm coming…'_

* * *

"Mikey, keep Aanika out!" Donnie hissed. He'd been focused and holed up with Shiho since her water broke and coaching the miserable fox through every contraction. But now, the youngest of the hybrids had caught on to the change in energy within in the lair and was fighting with her uncles to get into Shiho's room. She got inside once but immediately became afraid when she witnessed Shiho experience a powerful contraction.

"I'm trying, Dude! But she keeps running from me. Ungh, hold still Mini Dudette. Let's go play some games!" Mikey struggled with the wiggling child as she tried her hardest to break from the turtle's grip. She had more strength in her than anyone gave her credit for, she may not have been related by blood but she was without a doubt Leo's daughter with the perseverance she possessed.

"Mama!" She cried.

"Let her down, Mike, it's fine," Shiho muttered.

Shiho rested on her side for a breather and waved her hand for her brother to let Aanika down. The moment her feet touched the ground, the little fox whimpered. Shiho extended her hand and sat up so Aanika could sit beside her on the bed. Once against Shiho's side, the youngling gripped at her mother's arm and sniffled.

"Hey, it's okay, Pumpkin. There's nothing to be afraid of, Uncle Donnie is taking good care of me. But, Aanika look at me," Shiho tilted her child's chin up to meet gazes. Blue pools met violet, the fear overflowing. "I need you to stay with Uncle Mikey until this is over. Your new siblings are on their way and Uncle Donnie is very busy trying to get them out, okay?"

Aanika wiped her running nose with her arm and sniffled with a nod. Shiho smiled that warm grin that brought nothing but comfort to the child and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"That's my girl. Now, run along. Daddy should be home any time now."

The youngster slowly walked to her uncle and held her arms up so he could lift her and take her away downstairs. The moment she was gone and the door was closed, Shiho gasped and fell back against her pillows as her abdomen tightened.

"God dammit, where is that turtle?" She groaned. Donnie dabbed at her forehead with a moist towel and offered his hand for her to squeeze. She was more than gracious to hold on tightly as she breathed through her pain. Slowly through her nose and out through her mouth.

With every passing minute, Shiho's terror multiplied. Leo wasn't there. Though she had Donnie for support and guidance, it still wasn't enough. But she was at least thankful her brother was sticking by her side and keeping her as calm as he could. This wasn't just a new experience for her. This was completely unexplored territory for the genius and he was going in without much of a map for guidance, at least he had no guidance until Linda showed up.

"He's on his way, sis. He had to pick up Linda on the way so it'll take a little longer than usual, but he's coming," Donnie soothed and kissed her knuckles. "If you want, I can go dig up that Epidural that Linda left here last night. You're dilated enough."

"No, I don't know what that medicine will do to me or the babies. The less drugs the better. But God this sucks…" She said with a sigh. Donnie had to admire her strength and her turn down of the Epidural. Most women beg and plead to be put out of their misery. But then again, Shiho wasn't the average woman. Who knew what sort of adverse effect the medicine would have on her unique body, she wasn't just being brave she was trying to be smart.

"Alright. But let's get you hooked up to the heart monitor at least until Linda gets here. Need to keep an eye on their heart rate."

"That's fine. Did she really leave that much stuff here?" Shiho blinked in mild bewilderment. Linda didn't miss a thing.

"Yeah, mostly so I could familiarize myself with the equipment. She left all kinds of goodies, she managed to even snag ultrasound equipment for future use. Aahh…leave it to an O'Neal to be thorough," Donnie said with a smile.

"Anyway, I'll go get the machine. It's downstairs, I'll be right back," The exhausted fox nodded as he disappeared out into the lair.

Now that she was alone, she let out a long and drawn out breath that she hadn't realized she was holding as she let the terror she was fighting consume her. This was happening. This was really happening. After all those years of living in fear and abuse, Shiho was finding herself more afraid now than she'd ever been when she was growing up. In Marcus' possession, she always knew what to expect; needles, acids, beatings, fights. But now that she was about to give birth she didn't know what was going to happen. The unknown is what surrounded her, squeezing her in its grip.

Running her delicate hands back through her bangs and her hair, Shiho chewed the corner of her lip anxiously. Her right had dropped to caress her now dropped belly. Ears twitched back and forth as she tried to imagine what her little ones were going to look like. While Linda had confirmed that they were split down the middle, she still couldn't help but wonder. Whose eyes would they share? Which parent would they take after the most? Would they love her as much as she loves them? So many questions that had limitless possibilities opened doorways to even more questions.

It was only with the sound of Donnie's feet on the floor that Shiho's concentration was broken as he returned with the necessary equipment to give him the readings he needed. Like Linda showed him, Donnie wrapped an elastic band around her waist with the device pressing into her tummy. After a few clicks and switches, Donnie had the machine turned on and both heartbeats came through the speakers.

"Jeez. They have the beatings of a horse. They certainly get that from you, sis," Donnie winked as she smiled.

"Hand, Donnie. Hand…"

"Oh! Sorry!" Donnie fumbled around between the cords and offered Shiho his hand. Quickly (and tightly) the fox held on as another contraction started to hit its peak. With her eyes squeezed shut and her ears flush with the sides of her head, Shiho clenched her teeth to keep her screams at bay. She couldn't very well disrupt the entire home.

"Easy, sis. There we go, almost over…almost…" Donnie's voice was calm and even despite the raging panic that was wreaking havoc inside him. Shiho's whimpers and small grunts kept him focused on the right energy so she wouldn't pick up on his own uncertainty. "Good, Shiho. Slow breaths, a few more…there we go, and it's over."

Like a snare, Shiho released her brother as the pain died down to a dull ache. Donnie chuckled nervously and shook his hand to bring the blood back to his fingers after her crushing grip stopped the flow. Damn, Shiho was strong…

"Oh Donnie, I'm so glad you're here."

"I know. I'm not gonna leave you. Just relax, your contractions are getting stronger and a little closer together. I'll check your cervix in about an hour. For now, do you want anything?"

"Alcohol would be nice…" She mumbled miserably. Donnie's eyes rolled and his shoulders shook with a bit of laughter.

"I'll get you some ice water."

"Yeah…thanks…"

* * *

Linda clutched her arms around Raphael's neck as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop, his grip tightening every now and then to make sure he didn't drop her. She'd never been carried quite like this before or at all for that matter. The redhead couldn't figure out how Shiho and her sisters were able to do this on a daily basis with the turtles without the fear of being dropped between buildings. Nevertheless, she clung to Raphael for dear life as he did his best to keep up with Leonardo.

"Leo, hold up! Don't go-…down there…jeez…" Raph muttered as Leo took a leap between an apartment building and a bank to get to the sewer cover on the ground. Raph took an irritated glance to Linda before going down after his leader and set her on her feet.

"We'll be home faster if we take this route. Come on, Raph."

"Well, well, well. If it isn't our little green friends come to crash the party."

Both brothers froze in their efforts to find the lid to look up towards the front of the alley. There, shrouded in the dim light was a familiar large figure that Linda imagined didn't weigh less than 300 lbs. His footsteps were heavy as he thunked forward with a grin on his scarred face.

"Well looky what we have here, Leo. It's Hun come to see us off."

"Linda…get behind me. Raphael we don't have time for this," Leo pressed as three more Purple Dragons emerged from behind their thick leader. Leonardo could now see a plain, black van with the backdoors open and full of duffel bags. Just their luck, they interrupted another Purple Dragon bank heist. But the closer Leo looked, the angrier he became. What was under that van?

The manhole cover.

And they were cornered.

"Leo, what's going on?" Linda nearly stammered as she clutched her medical bag against her chest. Leo clenched his teeth together and sneered.

"Just stay back, Linda. These guys don't fool around. Raphael."

Raphael reached for his sais and closed his fists around the handles. "Yeah, bro?"

"Keep Linda safe. She's our only hope of Shiho safely delivering," Leo barely finished when he heard Hun chuckling darkly as he now stood just in front of him, a leap away.

"You're still with that fox freak? Hahaha, oh man. You must be desperate then. Come on lizard boy, I ain't got all night to dance. So if we're gonna do this, let's do it."

Leo unsheathed his katana and gripped the hilts tightly in his hands as he glared. Two of the three thugs rushed past him to fight Raphael only to be swiftly kicked in the face and knocked out when their skulls hit the pavement. Neither of them were in the mood to mess around, especially Leo.

"Come on, Leonardo. Show me what you got. That is, if you still got it. Hangin' out with that woman has probably done nothing but dull your skills."

Leo grinned and tilted his head just slightly and gave a little shake with a laugh. And suddenly, faster than Hun could blink, Leo launched himself forward.

"Oh crud…AH!" Leo's knees connected with the Dragon's broad chest and forced him onto his back, knocking the wind right out of him. The turtle crossed his swords across Hun's neck and brought the cold, sharp steel down to his skin.

"Move the van…and put the money back. Or so help me, Hun…I will slice open your throat just like I did Karai's…" Leo's voice was slow, dark, and steady so the muscle head could clearly understand every word he said. A bead of sweat rolled down his wide face as his eyes steadily grew wider, Leo was sending those swords down into his throat, he was serious.

"What's got you in such a hurry, huh Turtle?"

"That's none of your concern. Now, move the van, Hun. I'm not going to tell you again."

Hun's empty eyes stared into Leo's intense amber orbs. They almost appeared to be ablaze with determination and rage. Now that Leo had blood on his sword, he didn't feel the hesitation anymore and would do it again if it meant getting to Shiho on time. Raphael chuckled and spun a sai around his finger, Leo was downright terrifying.

"A-alright! Hey Mohawk, move the van and get those two morons up. Put the money back."

Leo didn't move from his hostage until his demands were met. Every bag of money was thrown back into the bank's back door and the van had moved forward off the manhole cover. Hun was sweating bullets now. He didn't know if Leo was going to finish him off or disappear into the sewer.

"Yeah! Let's go, Leo!" Raph called as he opened the lid and Linda began to climb down. He followed after her and stood on the ladder to wait for his brother. "Come on! We don't have much time, man!"

Leo nodded towards his brother but glared back down at Hun.

"If I miss the birth of my children because of you, I will find you. There won't be anywhere you can hide and I will take you down. I'm done with you Purple Dragon clowns."

With a grunt, Leo stood and returned his swords to his back but not before kicking Hun unconscious in the face. Once he was sure that the gangster was out, Leo climbed onto the ladder and closed the lid. Raphael waited below with Linda once again in his arms and grinned when Leo jumped down and started running home.

"Leo, that was badass, man!"

"Shut-up, let's just get home. Lord knows how far along she is now…that delay really set us back. Linda, are you alright?" Leo turned his attention to the doctor in Raph's grip as they ran. Pushing her glasses up her nose, she nodded with a smile.

"Peachy! Now let's just get to Shiho. Donnie is holding down the fort but I'm sure he's already overwhelmed."

* * *

"You're doing great, sis. What can I get for you?" Donnie asked as they came to the end of another powerful contraction. Shiho sunk into her pillows and exhaled a breath heavy enough to puff out her cheeks. The vixen was already exhausted and she wasn't even seven centimeters dilated yet.

"I need to walk around a bit, my back is getting tight. Can you hand me my robe, Don?"

Donatello hesitated slightly, unsure of whether to let her up. But he remembered Linda explaining that the force of gravity often brought relief and sped up the dilation process. Shiho looked restless, too, so he nodded and fetched the long, powder blue bathrobe from its hook on the bedroom door. As she rose with his help, Donnie gulped uneasily. He hoped he was doing everything right; checking her temperature, coaching her through every contraction, making sure she was dilating normally. It didn't help that her sisters kept knocking on the door to check on them both every ten minutes. He couldn't blame them for their growing concern but the constant vigil of their worry was doing nothing for his confidence.

"Can you call Linda? Just to see where they are, I mean," Donnie wrapped an arm around Shiho's waist as he held her hand and walked slowly by her side. He could see the immediate relief than being on her feet brought her and decided he'd help her more by making the call.

"Sure. Hey Mikey, can you come up and walk with her, please? I need to make a call," called the genius down to the couch where his brother anxiously sat. Michelangelo wasn't even paying attention to his martial arts film that he was watching with Aanika. He was too busy fidgeting with his fingers and biting fingernails that he didn't have.

"Yeah, Dude! Be right up!"

Quickly, the orange clad turtle dumped his little dudette in Fiona's lap and made a few jumps up to the landing in front of Donnie and Shiho to take the reigns. Donnie walked away cautiously with his eye on the two as he grabbed his Cell to make the call to Linda's phone that she hopefully had with her. Raph and Leo had left their phones in the lair by a stroke of bad luck.

"Hey Linda! It's Donnie, Shiho's doing okay and is walking around a little. But, where are you guys?" Nervously his eyes shifted to his laboring sister with a weak smile on her face as Mikey made jokes to make her laugh through her discomfort.

"_Raphael says we have at least another twenty or thirty minutes before we get there. Just keep an eye on her, if she says she has to go to the bathroom get her in bed immediately, just in case we aren't there by then."_

"What does that mean? What if she actually has to go?" On the other line, Donnie could hear his two brothers bickering about which tunnel was the fastest and could almost see Linda rolling her eyes. Down below, the lair was entered by April and Casey. Looks like someone had made a phone call in their desperation for help.

"_Well, that's a baby moving into the birth canal. She uses the same muscles to push out the baby as she does to use the bathroom. Understand what I'm saying?"_

Now it made sense. He was about to answer when he heard Leo's voice pestering Linda for the phone so he could talk to Shiho. Donnie didn't want to fight with his brother and caught up with Shiho and handed her the Cell.

"It's Leo, he wants to talk to you—YAH!" Donnie yelped as Shiho snatched the device out of his hand and retrieve the ear piece that was connected to the back and stuck it into her ear.

"Leo? Leo where are you?" Her voice was weak but mildly frantic in its nature, a sound that tugged at Leonardo's heartstrings. That sound of desperation in her voice was enough to make him keel over. On the other line, Shiho smiled when Leo sighed.

"_I'm coming, Honey. Just hang on. Are you alright? How bad is it? Are you in pain?"_

"Well, it's not fun. Leo, hurry…please. I can't do this without you."

Both Donnie and Mikey exchanged worried and apathetic glances as Shiho's ears dropped in her conversation. They knew she was terrified, who wouldn't be? Leo's absence only made her that much more afraid even though they were there to support her. As she conversed, both brothers maneuvered her back into her bedroom to lay down once again.

"_Shiho don't worry. I wouldn't miss this for anything. I'll be there, I promise. Okay?" _Shiho dropped into silence and closed her violet eyes, trying her best to stifle her disappointment. Leo had a bad habit of making and breaking his promises in the past.

"_Shiho…"_

"Okay, Leo. Just hurry. Ow, ow…Donnie."

"_Shiho what's going on? Are you there? Hello?" _

"Leo? It's Donnie, she's contracting again. Just hurry up, man. I think she's getting close." On the other side, the leader grunted.

"_I'm trying, just tell her I love her. I'll be there soon. We're almost home."_

The line cut when Leo hung up first. Donnie set his Cell back down on the bedside table and rubbed Shiho's back as she breathed slowly through her nose. At least she wasn't screaming like the women he'd seen on baby shows and in the movies. But of course, those women were human and Shiho wasn't anything like those regular women in the throes of labor. The intensity was there, he could see it in her face but could tell she was sucking it up as best she could.

"He's almost here, said he loves you. You doing alright?" Shiho nodded, unable to speak just yet as the tight pain hit its peak at the top of her contraction. When the tension released, so did her breath and the grip she had on the sheets. These contractions were getting old fast and working her nerves. They were getting stronger and longer in their duration and she hadn't even been in labor that long. All the while this was going on, Donnie was still managing to write what he was observing, especially the speed at which her labor was progressing. He hypothesized that her genetic deformation with fox DNA was speeding up the process. Mammals in the wild always had fast labors, they had to in order to keep moving and hunting to provide for their young.

"I'll be better when this is over. Again, Donnie, thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you"

"Hey, don't mention it, sis. It's what family does for each other, you know I've got your back," He said, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple getting a smile out of her. "Where would you put that contraction on a one to ten scale?"

"Oh we're getting to about a nine now. Am I dilated yet?" Shiho whined. This was taking so long it seemed. The process of labor was slow and agonizing in its duration and entirety but speedy at the same time, she was over it already. But even so, Leo wasn't home yet and she had to hang on for a little while longer. Plus who was to say that when he finally showed up that she was going to start pushing right away anyway?

"Labor is so not awesome, Don."

The turtle chuckled as he folded a stack of towels for later. He glanced at Shiho with a sideways gaze, a warm and comforting glisten in his kind eyes. The fox's ears stood tall in curiosity and gave a slight tilt of her head as she felt the intensity of his gaze. He didn't have to say anything to tell her what he was thinking and how he was feeling. The softest of smiles tugged at the corners of her dark, glossy lips as she flashed him a bright eyed wink. In the silence they both assured each other that regardless of what was about to happen that everything was going to be alright when it was over. They were family and that was all they needed to overcome every hurtle, they were each others guiding lights in the darkness when all hope seemed lost.

"I love you, Donnie. You're the best brother a girl could ever want."

A wide smile pulled Donnie's mouth across his teeth as he grinned and returned the wink she'd sent him before.

"Love you too, Fuzzball. I'm glad you're part of this family."

"Me too."

An abrupt knocking on the bedroom door and April walked in before Donnie had the chance to let her inside. Shiho's face lit up like the Fourth of July when she laid eyes on her best friend and outstretched her arms to hug the redhead. Donnie went about his business of getting whatever materials Linda would need ready and let the girls talk. April was a sight for sore eyes when Shiho was feeling desperate; she'd always been a figure of relief when she walked into a room.

"What are you doing here?" Shiho said as she let go of the embrace they'd shared. April removed her shoulder bag and set it by the wall and moved to greet Donnie with a hug of his own.

"Fiona called me. She said your water broke and that Leo wasn't home so we hauled ass to get down here. I think Casey is downstairs still trying to put his heart back into his chest," The girls giggled and Donnie rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Let me guess, you were the one driving?"

"Duh. How are you feeling, Hot Stuff?" April smoothed back Shiho's violet bangs away from her forehead and gave it a kiss.

"I'm feeling pretty lousy, I'm scared as all hell. But, Donnie's here. So I'm okay."

"Yep! I got your back, Shiho. Now, let's just get you relaxed before you next contraction."

Shiho's labor was progressing faster than Donnie was able to keep up with. But he was at least prepared. Even so, he was still hoping that Leo would show up before she sped up and went off the deep end and became completely dilated. Every minute was crucial at this point.

Leo just couldn't miss this.

* * *

**A/N: ALMOST THERE! I think by next chapter I'll pop those suckers out BT Let's do it! Haha, like always my duckies, please read and review! I need REVIEWS!**


	29. Love You Already

**A/N: GAIS! We be done! Bahaha! :,D At last, I made it. Though I am going to write an epilogue for this story and eventually a sequel, this fic essentially wrapped up. Hopefully, I did a good enough job and did it accurately e-e. Can't tell you how difficult this chapter was to write. So, I'm praying that my wonderful readers enjoy it. READ AND REVIEW OF COURSE. Hope you like it!**

**********NOTICE: THIS STORY HAS OC CHARACTERS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE, PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS ON MY PROFILE FOR YOUR VISUAL AID.**

* * *

"_I'm feeling pretty lousy, I'm scared as all hell. But, Donnie's here. So I'm okay."_

"_Yep! I got your back, Shiho. Now, let's just get you relaxed before you next contraction."_

_Shiho's labor was progressing faster than Donnie was able to keep up with. But he was at least prepared. Even so, he was still hoping that Leo would show up before she sped up and went off the deep end and became completely dilated. Every minute was crucial at this point._

_Leo just couldn't miss this._

* * *

Adrenaline had a funny way of stifling panic and terror, or at least keep it at bay. Leo couldn't even feel the needles of pain that stung into the bottom of his feet as he raced home faster than he had in a long time. Raphael trailed right behind him, not letting himself fall too far behind because he was the one carrying Linda. Without her, Shiho had little hope of staying calm even if she had Donnie there to coach her through the motions. Neither of them paid attention to how quickly the minutes ticked by until they had at last come to the entrance of the lair. Linda was right, they moved fast.

Leonardo had to brace his knees with his palms for a moment to catch his breath. True to nature, that adrenaline masked the fiery burn in his lungs and the tight dryness in his throat. Now it was catching up with him all at the once. But he made it. He hadn't received another call from Donnie which meant that Shiho at least wasn't pushing yet. Soon, though, the gravity of their situation crushed down on his shoulders and chest as he realized that this was it. Shiho was in there right now, about to make him a father. Suddenly he felt dizzy and swallowed thickly as he was joined at his side by Raphael after Linda had been set down.

"Ya ready, man?" He asked, placing a firm hand on his brother's shoulder. Linda gathered herself and thoughts as she pushed up the sleeves of her shirt. Leo closed his eyes and gulped once again before making the door open. Linda was the first to dash inside and up the stairs; her medical bag was clenched tightly in her grip as she ran to the bedroom.

"Yeah. This is going to happen whether I'm ready or not, anyway…" Leo muttered as he stepped inside. Gathered around the television sat Fiona, Saundra, Casey, and Mikey who nervously bounced Aanika on his knee. All at once, every set of eyes in the room were on Leo as Raph pressed his hand once again to his brother's shoulder for reassurance. Out of Mikey's lap Aanika bounded towards Leo and launched herself into his arms.

She squealed. "Daddy's home!"

With a smile, Leo's strong arms came around the youngling fox and embraced her against him. His beak nuzzled into the soft brown curls of her hair and kissed the side of her head.

"Yeah, I'm home. Guys, where's Shiho?" He said, his large hand running through Aanika's hair while she clung to him with her arms around his neck. Leo cradled his arm under her backside when her head came to rest on his shoulder and her face nuzzled into Shiho's favorite spot against his neck. Wordlessly, Casey pointed up the stairs towards their bedroom. Already, he could hear faint cries of discomfort coming from behind their door as he guessed his mate was experiencing another contraction.

"Alright, Sweetie. Stay down here with Uncle Mikey, I need to go see Mama," Setting the little one back down and kissing the top of her head, Leo coaxed a smile out of her. "That's my girl. Now behave."

"Let's go, Shortstack," Raphael gently grasped Aanika's tiny hand in his own and led her away to the rest of their family to keep her occupied. Leo took his chance and made the dash up the stairs and nearly tripped over every other step. It felt like the hallway was a mile long as he ran towards the room that he and Shiho shared and flung himself through the door when he at last reached it. Linda was already inside and talking with Donatello. But there she was, his golden girl sitting up in bed looking absolutely beautiful despite the redness in her cheeks and her disheveled hair.

"Leo!" She cried when she laid her eyes on him. Joy flooded her veins and brightened her eyes when he came over to sit and envelope her in his arms. "Oh thank goodness. I'm so happy to see you…"

"Told you I'd make it," Leo chuckled, gently captured her fragile chin between his fingers to tilt her face up. Shiho's eyelashes fluttered as her eyes came to a close when he leaned in and kissed her sweetly. "Sorry I'm late."

"Well, not too late. But, she's getting close Leo. She's dilating. Fast," Donatello informed his brother once he let go of his vixen to move up behind her in bed. Shiho settled between his legs and leaned into his plastron, comfortable at last.

"Where's she at, Donnie?" Leo said, rubbing his hands against his mate's arms.

"Just over eight centimeters now. I expect in the next hour or so, she'll be ready to push."

Shiho groaned inwardly when Donnie finished and dropped her head back against Leo's shoulder, a look of disdain plastered on her beautiful face. He knew she was in pain. He also knew there wasn't a damn thing that he could do. A small pang of guilt kicked him in the gut as the typical thought entered his mind. _I did this to her. She's in pain because of me._

"So, what do we do, Linda?" Leo said, shaking himself free of his thoughts. The redhead chuckled and stood beside her cousin, arms folded. April was anxiously chewing the nail of her thumb as she and Shiho silently communicated with each other.

"Nothing left to do but wait, honestly. Her body will do the work, we just have to be patient. I'll check her again soon but you need to just sit with her. The contractions are bigger and longer now and she's going to need you."

Leo nodded his head a few times and leaned his chin into Shiho's shoulder and rested his cheek with hers. The soft skin was slightly moist from the perspiration she'd worked herself into from her battle with the contractions. Even the soft fur on her ears was damp, he knew it'd only get worse when she started pushing. But Leo couldn't wait, he was just barely able to keep the lid on his overzealous excitement. His dream of having a family was just hours away.

"I'll be right here. Don't you worry, Shiho," he whispered into the soft tufts of white fur in her ear. Shiho was able to put on a small smile when his hands came forward to hold her round belly, trying to feel the little lives through the fabric of her nightgown and the confines of the womb. He wanted to see them more than anything in this world, to hold them, and tell them how much he loved them. When Shiho's nails dug into the muscles of his thighs, Leo came back from his cloud. She was contracting and clenching her teeth tightly together to suppress whatever screams she would have made.

"Okay, give me your hands, Sweetheart," Leo husked into her ear, grasping her fragile hands for her to grip his fingers. The crushing pain of Shiho's constricting digits was enough to make him focus. "Good job. Breathe now…almost done…"

Linda and April both mirrored each other by nervously biting their lips as they watched and listened to Shiho's shallow and labored breathing. They were all cut off from the view of her eyes when she squeezed them shut and gripped Leonardo's hands just a little tighter. She was unsuccessful in containing a small groan and a hiss as she squirmed uncomfortably. Donnie stood beside the O'Neil cousins and muttered amongst them about what was going to happen next.

"Oh God this is a long one…Ahh…" Shiho chewed her lip and inhaled deeply.

"Atta girl, you're almost there and doing great," Leo's whispers continued until the tension in her body pulled away and her hands released his from their grip. He took his palm and smoothed back her hair and kissed her temple, letting her relax against his plastron once again.

"Lindaaa make this go by faster!" Shiho whined with her eyes closed. Linda went into her bag and pulled out a small bottle of clear fluid and gave it a little shake. She approached the fox and knelt at her bedside holding the bottle between her thumb and index finger. Tall ears opened to full bloom as she curiously loomed forward to look at the bottle in Linda's possession. "What's that?"

"Pitocin. It's what I give my patient's to make their labor progress faster. Usually, I only give this to the women who've just been checked into the hospital so they aren't sitting there for sixteen hours."

Shiho winced. She was only at this for two hours, and couldn't imagine what those poor women were feeling, being in labor for _that_ long. But she felt there was more to Linda's explanation.

"But, I only give this when they're about two or three centimeters dilated. You're almost there. I can give this to you now and see if it speeds things along. But there's always the risk of something going wrong. I don't know how this medicine will affect you. It's up to you, Honey."

Again the fox chewed her lip as she lulled over the decision. One the one hand, she could have this labor done and over. But on other, there was the possibility of her body reacting violently to the Pitocin. Her and Leo exchanged a long glance and silently debated the option in Linda's hand.

"…No. I can't risk anything happening to them…" Linda nodded with a smile and tucked the medicine away and returned it to her bag. April winked at her best friend as a sign that she was proud of her. April knew more than anyone what these babies meant to Shiho and Leo, taking a risk like that would do nothing but destroy them if it the situation took a bad turn.

* * *

"How do you think it's goin'? Sit still Shortstack," Raph muttered as Aanika anxiously climbed all over him to find something to do. Casey wrapped tape around the end of one of his hockey sticks and just shrugged. He knew that if any of them tried to get into that bedroom, Shiho would rip their limbs off.

"Dunno, man. Just gotta stay out of their way until it's over. That means you, little girl," The vigilante pointed at the smaller fox, making her giggle and wiggle her ears. The two hybrid sisters sat huddled together on one of the loveseats with their hands tightly clasped together. The group all looked up at the sound of Splinter closing the sliding door of his room as he emerged. Remarkably, they all felt a strange sense of relief at the sight of him.

"Stay calm. We must all keep our energies as tranquil as we possibly can. I suggest we all meditate now and concentrate on a safe arrival of the little ones."

Mikey was the first to groan quite audibly at the idea of meditating. His outburst earned him a sharp glare from his sensei and caused him to sit up straight and chuckle nervously. Every member of the family, including Casey and Aanika, sat in a circle on the floor to relax and shut their eyes. Splinter sighed heavily and they began their group vigil of meditation, sending as much positive energy as they could muster into the air in the hopes of Shiho feeling their support.

* * *

"Ah! Linda! Linda! It's bad. It's _bad_! Please tell me I'm ready!" Shiho cried after another agonizing hour of labor and contractions. Her thighs grew weary and began to tremble and ache, her energy not far behind in depleting itself. Leo did what he could and never left the bed, staying right behind her and letting her squeeze his hands as hard as she needed to. April and Donnie paced nervously after they'd set out a few sterilized forcep scissors and set the stack of towels that Donnie had folded onto a small, portable table to Linda's left.

Linda lifted the sheets and parted Shiho's weak legs to see how far along they were now. Shiho panted and collapsed back against Leonardo's plastron in exhaustion as Linda felt around. Leo's eye ridge furrowed in worry and guilt at his mate's enormous discomfort, he only wished he could take the pain away. Linda clicked her tongue and withdrew her hand and motioned for Donnie to move the tall lamp closer and maneuver the light between Shiho's legs.

"Alright, Honey. I hope you're ready because you're dilated. Actually, you're more than dilated, feels like we have eleven centimeters to work with. Donnie? Tell one of your brothers to go get me a large bowl of warm water, now!" Donnie flinched before sprinting outside to do what Linda ordered.

In his chest, Leo's heart raced in a turbulent mixture of fear and excitement. It was time. It was finally time. Linda had waited for Donnie to return with a sloshing bowl of warm water and set it down on the other table to Linda's right. Shiho slipped down a little lower and set her trembling hands into Leo's palms and took as many deep breaths as she could.

"Okay, now, April and Donnie; I need you two to hold her legs under her knees and pull them open and back. Shiho when you push, I want your chin down to your chest and hold your breath and push for ten seconds. We're going to push on your next contraction. Okay?"

Wide eyed and terrified, Shiho nodded and swallowed to wet her dry throat. Leo whispered words of love and encouragement into his mate's ear in his attempt to calm her down so she could focus on the task at hand. When her eyes squeezed shut and her chin came down to her chest, Leo braced himself for the crushing pressure on his hands. Linda pulled the light down for a better view and situated herself on the stool she'd been sitting on.

"Okay! Now, push Shiho…atta girl…push, push, push…" Linda chanted as Shiho counted in her head.

_5…6…7…Oh God!...9…10…_She gasped and released her muscles. It took every ounce of restraint to not scream her lungs out, she'd never felt such an enormous and intense pain in her life. She felt it all, the baby's head stretching her more than she'd ever been and her muscles contracting all at once to push it out. Behind her and to her sides, her family cheered the fox on to keep going. So push she did, Shiho pushed with all of her might.

"Awesome job, Shiho. Beautiful push, gimme another one just like that, come on. Don't give up!" Linda urged the tired fox. Chin to chest, Shiho pushed again and mentally counted. She swore she was being split in two as the pressure of the baby's head was more than she could handle.

"OW! Fuck, I can't do it! Leo…Leo, I can't do thi-"

"Yes you can. Come on, Baby. You're almost there, we can't have this family if you don't keep going. Now push, Babe, push…" He said right into her ear, chanting "push" slowly, over and over. Shiho gave it another go and sucked in a large breath before bearing down and forcing her muscles to push. Linda moved her hand to grab the blue suction tool as she started to see some progress.

"No! Oh God, no! Ah…AH!"

"Shiho I can see the top of her head, come on, Honey you can do this. Do not stop pushing. Just go, go, go!" Linda ordered. Shiho's efforts to keep her cries at bay were futile as she gave in and just let it out. Donnie couldn't imagine the agony she was in and supportively rubbed her thigh as he held it open with his other hand. "Get ready folks, she's crowning."

Downstairs, her family was growing more anxious by the minute with each scream she made. Fiona fidgeted nervously and Saundra started to grind her teeth together. Both sisters were tuned in to Shiho's pain and couldn't stand to sit by idly while she suffered. They were reprimanded by a dissatisfied grunt from Splinter and did their best to sit still while in his lap, Aanika whimpered. Splinter held his warm paws over her ears to muffle the sounds of her mother's screaming. He lifted one paw to whisper to her.

"Do not fear, little one. Your mother cries only from a temporary pain, this will not last forever."

His voice did much to ease the trembling of the young fox as she broke her focus and turned in his lap to bury her face into his furry chest. Splinter softened and brought his arms around his grandchild, rubbing her back to soothe her whimpers. Though he seethed a calm energy, the old rat was chomping at the bit to find out the condition of his daughter. He couldn't handle much more of the waiting but had to stay composed for the sake of everyone else. If Splinter broke, chaos would ensue among the family.

"Almost there, Shiho, her head is almost out. Just give me one more push and you can relax for a minute," Linda said, turning and maneuvering the emerging head of what she gathered was the fox child. The top of her head was dressed in dark hair but broken by two small ears that were pressed flat against her scalp. Shiho's chest heaved with thick breaths as she dug her fingernails into Leo's hands and clenched her teeth for another push.

"Good, good, good! Come on, don't stop. Almost…almost! Lots of hair on this one," Audibly, Shiho gasped when she felt a strange relieve in pressure and took a moment to steady herself. Between her legs, she could hear the wet sounds of Linda suctioning fluid out of the infant's nose and mouth. "Great job, Shiho. We're almost there- Oh my!"

Linda was interrupted when she finished cleaning the airways and the baby broke into a loud gurgle and then a scream. The sound pierced Leo through the heart, a feeling that he'd never felt before. Both Donnie and April looked down and burst into an excited frenzy.

"Oh my God, Shiho! You're almost there! I can see her, I can see her!" April giggled. Shiho looked dumbfounded as she found the strength once again.

"Yup! Okay, girl, small pushes now. I need to get the shoulders out, and it's tricky. You could tear if you push too hard, understand? Small pushes."

Shiho gave Linda a look, too breathless to tell her that she was nuts. Leo did everything in his power to keep it together as his mate focused on small pushes. The pressure and urge to just launch the baby out was intoxicating and overwhelming, especially when the shoulders began to pass through. Shiho suddenly arched her back and let her muscles release at the sudden wave of incomprehensible pain. The ninja felt his finger joints popping under the crushing grip Shiho had suddenly taken on and pursed his lips together.

"Easy…easy…good girl, Shiho. Alright, shoulders are out now give me a nice big push and we'll have a baby," Linda didn't have to tell her twice. Shiho focused intensely and practically shot the baby out from within her. All at once, the suffocating pressure disappeared and Shiho fell back against Leo's plastron as Linda held up the wet newborn for all to see. Just like they'd seen on the sonogram, there was her tail. Not even close to fluffy like her mother's, but slick and narrow.

Braced with the sudden cold, the baby screamed ad put her new lungs to good use. Shiho panted through broken sobs when Linda placed the wriggling infant on her chest and toweled her down to wipe her clean. After severing the umbilical chord, Linda let the infant lie on her mother's chest for a few more moments before handing her away to Donnie to finish cleaning her small body. Shiho's bright eyes followed her newborn everywhere she went, her ears open wide at the sounds of her intense crying.

Leo couldn't believe the power that his mate possessed. Right before his eyes he watched this beautiful, strong woman give him the ultimate gift. A gift so special and precious that no one else other than Shiho retained the ability to replicate; a family. His eyes, like the fox's, stayed glued to his newborn as he, too, fought for breath. The moisture in his eyes was unmistakable as it trickled down his cheeks and soaked his mask. Shiho was a blubbering mess as she reached her arms out for the new baby that Donatello had finished bundling up.

The genius took a moment to look at her tiny face; wrinkly and a little strange but beautiful all the same. He could make something this beautiful, too. Now that he knew it was possible. But he all but lost his breath when the infant opened her eyes and greeted him with the same intense, violet glow that her mother had.

"Donnie, give her the baby, you dope!" April hissed when she noticed he was taking too long. Donnie snapped his head up and noticed Shiho's beckoning arms and smiled nervously before gently settling her where she belonged. Linda stayed focused on cleaning Shiho up before the next one came and giving her a once over to check for tears.

"There you go…she's gorgeous, sis. Great job…" Donnie's voice was quiet in his awe as he set the distressed infant in Shiho's arms. Once there and against her mother's body, her cries subdued and turned into quiet whimpers. The turtle and cousins gave the mated pair some room to breath and stepped back as they relished in their glow. Donnie had never seen his brother look so…so happy. Purely happy.

"There she is…" Leo whispered, resting his chin on his mate's shoulder and looking down at the settled infant. Shiho's palm cupped the back of her small head and ran her thumb over the tiny ears that she'd inherited. She loved her already.

"Oh Leo…all of that trouble we went through, it was worth it," Shiho managed to speak through her barely contained sobs. The vixen leaned down to press a soft kiss against her child's warm forehead and nuzzled against her. All that was left now was to get the second baby out and they'd be complete.

Leo didn't bother wiping his face; he knew he'd just cry more when the second baby came. Instead, he kept his eyes on what he and Shiho made with the biggest smile he'd ever worn. His palm cradled her little head and sent a wave of warmth throughout his body. Now that he was seeing her, hearing her, touching her…it was real. He only wondered what his brothers and sisters were thinking downstairs, he was sure that they had heard the newborn's echoing cries.

"Donnie, take her please. And bring her to Splinter, number two is coming," Shiho grunted and trembled as her brother quickly withdrew his niece from Shiho's arms. Linda was fast on her stool as he made a careful dash outside to do as his sister asked.

"Guys, look! We've got one! It's a girl!" He called, breaking everyone's focus and turning their heads towards the stairs that he was descending. Splinter's eyes softened when they landed on the small bundle in his son's arms. Both hybrid sisters were in an instant fit of tears and on their feet to greet Donnie on his way over. They both got a look of her little face and simultaneously "aww'd" at the sight. His brothers and Casey hesitantly moved forward to get their first look, too.

All three of them cleared their throats in an attempt to not cry. Splinter chuckled at their bravado and moved to sit in his comfortable chair and held out his arms. Donnie followed Shiho's request and let their master be the first of the family to hold his grandchild. Aanika inquisitively leaned over the arm of the recliner to get a look at her new sister before being lifted up by Mikey. The whiskers on Splinter's muzzle twitched as he gazed upon the fresh face of their new arrival. He was silent as he caressed the back of her head with his supporting hand and let a smile form along his muzzle.

"Welcome, little one. Welcome to our family. We have been waiting for you for quite some time," He said in a low voice.

"Does she have a name yet?" Fiona piped, clinging to Donnie's arm and excitedly looking on to the new addition.

"Not yet, Shiho is starting on Baby Two right now, I think she and Leo will do that after."

"Say hello to your little sister, Dudette. Isn't she pretty?" Mikey said, holding Aanika to his plastron. The little fox didn't know what to think just yet, up until now, she was Leo and Shiho's only concern. Now, she had to share their love and attention and she wasn't sure if she liked it. But, she nodded anyway.

"Yeah…she's pretty…can I see Mama now?" Her light voice chirped as Donnie made his way back up the stairs and chuckled.

"Not yet, Sweetie. You will soon, though."

"DONNIE!" Shiho's screeching voice tore through the lair and he raced back up the stairs and sprinted back into the bedroom. There, Linda was already back in position and April had one leg held back.

"Oh, jeez. I'm sorry! I'm coming, sis!" The turtle scrambled his feet and was quickly at his sister's side and held her leg in place. Shiho's cheeks puffed out a few times with some quick breaths as she readied herself for Round Two. This time, she was more nervous than before. This was the child she'd seen on the ultrasound with a carapace just like Leo's. She wondered if this was going to be more difficult.

"Alright, Shiho, just like before. Chin to chest and all of your strength into your bottom. Baby's head is a little high up so you'll have to push a little more and a little harder, okay?"

"Fuck me!" Shiho groaned. Linda laughed.

"That's what got you into this situation. Now, push, Shiho."

Shiho didn't find Linda's joke very funny and growled a bit before launching herself into another hard push. Again, the numbers counted in her head and her muscles bore down on the infant inside her. Leo continued his encouraging chants in her ear and Donnie and April kept their gazes locked between her legs. If she weren't giving birth, Shiho would be throwing the biggest fit over all the attention her crotch was getting. This process was exhausting and embarrassing.

"Woah, it's coming down fast, Shiho ease up a little. Shiho! Shiho stop!" Linda pleaded.

"I can't! I gotta push, let me push. AH! Let me push, please, let me push," Shiho begged when she was told to stop. Leo pressed kisses to her neck and the sides of her face to ease her cries. The bone crushing pressure of his mate squeezing his hand was intense when she was holding back.

"Shit, hang on, Sweetie. I know, I know it hurts. But just hold on while I make a small cut. This baby's head is just a little bigger and isn't going to pass. This is going to sting a little…" Linda made the decision to go on with an episiotomy and made a small incision downwards. Shiho's eyes pricked with hot tears at the burning sensation as Linda made the incision for more room.

"Oh my God…now...now Linda. Gonna push! Oh God, gonna push!" Shiho groaned and lifted her hips just a bit before Linda could stop her and put her muscles to work once again. Shiho wasn't going to stop until that head was out and she could take a break. Leo made the attempt to glance down to see what was going on, but Shiho's belly blocked any view he would have had. April and Donnie, on the other hand, were getting a clear shot and tried to soothe their fox by caressing her thighs.

"Okay, push…push Shiho-"

"I AM PUSHING!" Shiho screamed, frustrated that Linda made her stop in the first place. With Linda's assistance and Leo's soft words in her ears, Shiho managed to push the baby's head free of her birth canal and took a deep breath; she took a few deep breaths actually. She'd never felt more deprived of air than before today.

"Awesome, sis! Head is out, looks just like Leo!" Donnie exclaimed, his grip on Shiho's leg tightened as he grinned. Shiho looked to April for confirmation and chewed her lip when the red head nodded furiously. With cleared airways, the infant belted out a scream that rivaled its sister. Leo gulped; he could only imagine his child now. A few more minutes and he'd see how accurate his imagination really was.

"Leo…Leo make it stop hurting."

"I can't, Baby. Just push, Honey, push and it'll be over soon. Come on, I _know_ you can do this," Shiho panted through ragged breaths, her bangs clung to her face and her neck and chest glistened with sweat. "I know you're tired, Honey. But just a little longer. You can do this, don't stop."

"'Kay Shiho, this might hurt more than before, we've got a shell to get out this time. Little pushes for the shoulders now…that's it…that's it…nice and easy, Mama," Linda cooed as her experienced hands turned and moved the baby's shoulders. She did her best to ease the infant's shell out and found the carapace was remarkably smooth and soft. Shiho received the go ahead and put all of her strength into her last push with a loud, agonizing groan.

And before she knew it, it was over.

With a drawn out gasp, the fox had at last pushed her child from inside her and into Linda's waiting hands. A few enormous gulps of air and Shiho did her best to sit up when Linda held up her newborn and set it on her chest. Donnie was right. The baby was the spitting image of Leonardo. Only a few differences separated the two; a smaller carapace and plastron and five fingers and toes instead of three and two. The skin tone was also a lighter shade of green.

"What is it, Doc?" Leo asked, his eyes stuck on the screaming infant the April and Donnie had begun to towel off. Shiho took notice that the umbilical chord was attached where her daughter's had been through a soft lift in the plates of the plastron. Unbelievable still.

"Well, if my studying has done anything, I'd say we have…" She paused and held the baby still for a moment. "A boy! Haha, good job, Shiho."

Like before, Donatello plucked the newborn from his mother's chest and went about drying him off and wiping him clean. Leo ducked his head into the crook of Shiho's neck as his shoulders shook from his cries. The fox laid her hand on the back of his neck and nuzzled the side of his face. She knew he wasn't able to express what he was feeling and did what she could to understand. April took one last look before darting out and throwing herself against the railing.

"Guys! It's a boy!" She yelled. Shiho's ears opened when she heard her family rise in a collective cheer. Now all that was left was to hold both of her children and sit with Leonardo.

"Thank you…" Whispered the blue masked turtle into his mate's neck. There was no possible way for her to really understand what this gift she'd given meant to him. There were so many things at once that he had to be thankful for that he didn't know which one to choose. Thankful that Shiho had come home that night after disappearing into a strip club. Thankful that she wanted to be his mate. Thankful that she was always by his side. Thankful that she carried and gave birth to _his_ children despite all of the pain she experienced.

"And number two," Donnie muttered with a smile as he placed the turtle hybrid into Shiho's arms as she sputtered through another set of sobs. Both parents were in absolute bliss and awe, the child in Shiho's arms was nothing short of a miracle.

* * *

After Linda had helped Shiho clean herself in the shower of the afterbirth and stitched up her incision, the exhausted fox and ninja had been left alone in their room for some much needed privacy. The entire family had been in their room and surrounded Shiho and Leo after the twins had been born. They'd gotten their fill of the babies, for now, and let the new parents relish in their happiness alone. Shiho was thankful for the privacy and took the opportunity to get some sleep. It was well past seven in the morning and she was drained. Leo found it hard to stay asleep and stayed up with his twins in his arms in the rocking chair that April and Casey had bought a few weeks ago.

"You guys don't know how lucky your mom and I are to finally have you here. We almost thought we would never get to have something as special as you two. And here you are…" With a baby in each arm, Leo rocked slowly back and forth.

After Linda had taught Shiho how to breast feed, she and Leo had decided on names. For their daughter they chose Allegra, which in Italian meant cheerful and lively. And for their son; Erasmus which meant beloved and desired. Which is exactly what he was, what they both were. Both beloved and desperately desired little blessings that their parents couldn't stop cherishing. Neither twin would ever be able to understand just how much Leo loved them, how precious they were in his heart. Even now, as they slept soundly in his arms he couldn't take his eyes off them. They were so different in their appearance. Allegra looked everything like her mother while Erasmus was every bit his father. His only exception was the violet eyes he shared with his sister and mother.

Their differing appearances didn't matter to Leonardo whatsoever. All that he cared about was that they were his. Even though she looked like Shiho, his daughter was his flesh and blood. His mark on the world that said he existed, that his bloodline wouldn't leave this world with him. _His_ blood ran through their veins.

Allegra's lips moved in a phantom sucking motion while her brother's eyes moved rapidly under his closed lids. Leonardo only imagined what they might have been dreaming; there was so much for them to see. He didn't know that the low rumble of his voice as he spoke to them eased them in their sleep. They'd heard his voice often in the womb, though it was muffled, they knew exactly who he was.

"How're you getting along there, Daddy?" Leo's euphoria was interrupted by the sweet hum of Shiho's voice, bringing his gaze up from his children to see her lying on her side facing him with her eyes barely open.

"Just fine," He said with a soft smile. Shiho shifted slightly and giggled. "Why are you awake? You need to rest, Shiho."

"Mm…too sore to sleep. And I missed them," Leo chuckled and stood up before moving over to the crib that Donatello and Casey had put together last week. Slowly and gently, Leo lowered his precious twins onto their backs and watched them sleep. It was with a long exhale that he turned around and crawled into bed with his fox.

"I still can't believe they're here. Shiho, you were amazing," his arms opened for her to crawl against his plastron. When she did so, he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her forehead tenderly. "You have given me the best gift a guy could ever want."

Shiho huffed a small, exhausted chuckle. "Well, I didn't do it by myself. You helped a little. I just…it isn't real yet. I mean I see them, I smell them, I hear them. But it still feels like a dream."

Leo nodded. He knew just what she meant and how she felt. With his hand, he rubbed up and down her back, paying attention to the bottom of her spine. He realized how much she ached and wanted to ease as much of her pain as he could. In the crib, the parents could hear their infants cooing in their sleep, making them smile and look at each other. Leo could see the exhaustion in her beautiful face but he could see the happiness and joy more than anything else. She'd never been more gorgeous than she was right now.

"I love you, Fuzzball."

Shiho giggled and kissed her turtle softly.

"I love you too, Domehead."

Her ear opened when she picked up the sound of a soft whimper coming from one of her twins. Clutching the top of Leo's plastron, she settled and sighed contently. Leo closed his eyes as he spoke to his children.

"And we love you. Our little legacies."

Sappy turle.


	30. Epilogue: Only The Beginning

**A/N: THIS IS IT! I wasn't able to really complete this story without some sort of closer...an epilogue of some sorts. So it's super short compared to my other chapters. But, hopefully, this gives a little closure to this story. Don't worry though, I'm in the workings of a sequel if my readers want it ;) Review and tell me what you thought of this story as a whole, if you want the story to continue in a sequel. TELL ME! I need to know my duckies. I'm also currently working on dishing out some different fanfiction verses. Maybe Holes, Tuck Everlasting, and possibly a little of the Labrynth! **

**So here it is, the conclusion to Turtle's Vixen.**

* * *

_Epilogue_

Family; it's a simple three syllable word that people of the world often take for granted. Take for granted what it meant to not only be part of a family, but to simply have one. The often blind and forgetful never truly understand what it is that they have and just what they should mean to each other. Love and support. Understanding without judgment. But naturally, that was the world. That was the way a majority of the human population behaved and existed. After all, they're families had histories and legacies that stretched decades, centuries for some. Families of the world tore each other apart for trivial and often stupid reasons; money, control, materialistic things. It was madness.

To one hodge podge group of mutants and hybrids in the shadows of New York City family was all that mattered; it was all they truly had. They fought and had their differences but at the end of the day none of the conflicts went unresolved. They'd found a way to live on, to ensure that their existence was not unnoticed at least in some small way. The start of it all came down to the first mated pair of this family; Shiho and Leonardo.

They'd become the first of their kind to find a way to make their mark on the world and it all started with their twins, Allegra and Erasmus. With these two textbook definitions of miracles did the collection of mutant turtles and hybrids have the hope of not leaving this world without something to say they were there.

A solid two months had come and gone in the blink of an eye since the day Shiho miraculously gave birth to those blessed twins. They grew like weeds and were the sunshine of Leo and Shiho's world. They had all they ever would need to live on happily together; Aanika, Allegra, and Erasmus. While Aanika didn't particularly enjoy sharing the spotlight she'd had for a year, she still understood that her parents loved her to the moon and back. Only now, she had to share them. More importantly, she had to share Leo.

It seemed that in the short time that Aanika had become the child between the fox and turtle, she tightly bonded with Leonardo. A Daddy's Girl inside and out she was, and she made sure everyone knew that he was hers first.

Between Raphael and Saundra, the second mated pair of the family, they weren't sure if they wanted kin yet or even at all. The fact was just fine with the both of them, they had each other and that was essentially all they ever needed and wanted out of life. If it happened, they wouldn't fight it. But they weren't seeking to become parents as actively as their two leaders had. They fought more than they got along but their fire was impossible to extinguish. Raphael loved that gecko hybrid more than life itself and Saundra would never leave that hot and heavy state of mind when it came to her mate. The fights were plenty but the love-making afterwards was out of this world.

Donatello and Fiona were another love story altogether. Fiona wanted more than anything what her sister had; the love of a child and family of her own. So far, they hadn't much success in conceiving but they were making a constant effort in trying. Donnie and Fiona were always the pair that offered to watch Leo and Shiho's children when they needed a patrol run or just the time alone to be mates again. Donnie wanted to give Fiona what she wanted…what _he _wanted more than anything. Making her happy would make his world complete, especially if it meant that he'd have his own little one to bounce on his knee when he was in his workshop. All of them often wondered if Donnie's genius would descend to his children when he had them. The only way to find out was to have success. Luck would be on their side soon and Fiona and Donatello will have their turn.

The last of the bunch was Michelangelo and Magdalena. In the few weeks after Allegra and Erasmus were born, he found the guts to ask her to be his mate. He wanted that happiness and whole feeling his older brothers had. He'd been silently jealous since the day Shiho and Leo had come out as a couple, secretly envious of his leader for always having the better things first. When Maggie said 'yes' Mikey was nearly unable to contain his elation and nearly hit the roof. The bad energy between the clone and her host was still present, but once Mikey had mated with Maggie that was the start of the two trying to be civil. Shiho never sent her clone dirty looks or scolded her the way she used to and Maggie made the effort to not pick stupid fights with her host.

"Leo, I think they're out. Help me won't you, Darling?" Shiho whispered. Her twins were fast asleep on her chest as she swayed back and forth in her rocking chair. Both infants curled their hands into tiny fists and made tiny coos and giggles in their sleep, leaving their mother in wonder as to what their little minds could be seeing. Leo, who had just come in from a patrol and a shower, smiled at his beautiful mate and carefully picked up Erasmus.

"How long did it take tonight?" He muttered in a low voice. Shiho chuckled lightly and pat Allegra on the back, still rocking slowly.

"About an hour. Not too bad. How was the run?" Both parents froze when Erasmus made a small whimper, making them believe he was waking up. When he only turned his head on Leo's plastron the pair relaxed. Getting them both to sleep at the same time was harder than they let on to their brothers and sisters.

"Eventful. You'd think those Purple Dragons would get the picture after the first year of beatings, but that doesn't seem to be the case," Leo kissed his son's forehead before carefully laying him down into the crib. Shiho stood and gently bounced Allegra when she began to stir, swaying her body as she did so. "I dunno, Shiho. With that gang still out there, I'm so afraid that they're going to get hurt."

After resting the girl beside her brother, Shiho grazed her fingers down the sides of their faces. Leo wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder with the heaviest sigh. Shiho understood his fear, she'd be lying if she said that she wasn't just as afraid for their safety as Leo was. But she knew that if she hid them away the way Splinter had for fifteen years, they would simply rebel against their parents. Aanika would be the first to do so.

"We can't keep them away from the world above, Leo. You and I both know what that will do. And besides, it's not like they'd ever be alone," She grasped her mate's forearms before turning around in his arms. She was so cute in her motherly glow, a sight that he could honestly never grow tired of seeing. With a smirk, the ninja leaned down and kissed her dark lips. Still the same delicious flavor that Leo was absolutely addicted to; mint. Even now, after nearly three years from the first time he kissed her, Leo was never able to have enough of that taste she possessed.

"So what do you think, Domehead, should we call this a wrap and a happily ever after?" She mused. Leo chuckled and looked down into the crib and back up to his mate.

"Nah. We haven't finished our story yet. We can call it a happily ever after when we're old and senile."

"Oh Leo, mhm…I love you."

The swift ninja swooped the dainty fox into his arms and pressed an obnoxious kiss to her cheek.

"I love you too, Fuzzball."

So, while they were happy, it wasn't the end of their story just yet. They had plenty more chapters to write and pages to turn. If anything, this was just the beginning for the turtle and the vixen's tale.

Just the beginning...


End file.
